{
  "id": 7940864,
  "title": "5-year term upheld for drunk driver who killed Japanese woman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/5-year-term-upheld-for-drunk-driver-who-killed-japanese-woman-7940864",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T03:47:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260917/5-year-term-upheld-for-drunk-driver-who-killed-japanese-woman"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Seoul appeals court has maintained a five-year prison sentence for a man in his 30s convicted of drunk driving that resulted in the death of a Japanese woman and her daughter in downtown Seoul last year. The Seoul Central District Court's appellate division denied the defendant's appeal, finding no grounds to lessen his sentence or grant clemency. The man, identified only as Seo, was accused of driving under the influence after consuming three bottles of soju on November 2, 2022, and striking the women as they crossed a pedestrian crosswalk near Dongdaemun Station. The mother, in her 50s, was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to cardiac arrest, while her daughter, in her 30s, sustained minor injuries. Seo's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.212 percent, significantly higher than the legal 0.08 percent threshold for license suspension. The accident marked the first day of the women's three-day trip to Korea. In early May, the Seoul Central District Court initially sentenced Seo to five years in prison.",
  "summary": "A court of appeals on Thursday upheld a five-year prison sentence for a man in his 30s who was indicted for drunk driving in downtown Seoul and hitting a Japanese woman and her daughter last year, killing the mother. The appellate division of the Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling after dismissing the appeal filed by the man identified only by his surname Seo, saying there were no…",
  "key_points": [
    "Seoul appeals court upholds 5-year prison sentence for drunk driver.",
    "Man, in his 30s, convicted of killing Japanese woman and her daughter.",
    "Seo's blood alcohol content 0.212%, exceeding legal limit of 0.08%."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The appeals court's decision upholds a strict stance on drunk driving causing fatalities, confirming a significant prison term for the defendant and providing some closure for the victims' family.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "5-yr term upheld for drunk driver who killed Japanese woman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/5-yr-term-upheld-for-drunk-driver-who-killed-japanese-woman",
        "published": "2026-09-17T03:16:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "5-year term upheld for drunk driver who killed Japanese woman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/5-year-term-upheld-for-drunk-driver-who-killed-japanese-woman",
        "published": "2026-09-17T03:37:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}