Russian nyets breathalyzer

The Yongsan Police Station in Seoul said yesterday that a Russian diplomat, aged 41, refused to take a sobriety test after being involved in a car crash.

The accident happened at 9:40 p.m. on Monday at a three-way intersection in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. The official drove the car from the Russian Embassy and slid down an icy hill, colliding with an SUV in front, according to police. No one was hurt in the accident.

However, after smelling alcohol on the diplomat, police requested he breathe into a breathalyzer but he refused.

Foreign diplomats serving in Korea have the legal right to refuse a sobriety test because they are entitled to diplomatic immunity. The Russian official told the police that “the icy road caused the car to skid,” and that he did not drink. He was sent home after being questioned about the collision.

By Kim Hyo-eun [enational@joongang.co.kr]