Moon's daughter reported for parking car illegally before alleged drunk-driving incident

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Moon's daughter reported for parking car illegally before alleged drunk-driving incident

Published: 07 Oct. 2024, 17:01 Updated: 07 Oct. 2024, 17:12

CHO JUNG-WOO
cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr

A vehicle reportedly driven by Moon Da-hye appears to enter an intersection in Yongsan District, central Seoul. Moon disregarded traffic signals while allegedly under the influence of alcohol on Saturday, according to camera footage. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Former President Moon Jae-in’s daughter, accused of drunk driving in Itaewon, Yongsan District, is also suspected of illegally parking her car for hours in the area, according to media reports on Monday.

PPP cries 'murder' after ex-President Moon's daughter booked for drunk driving accident

Moon Da-hye, daughter of the former president, is accused of parking her Hyundai Casper — a small SUV — in front of a construction site in Itaewon, close to a busy street and several restaurants.

According to the Yongsan District Office, the area is marked with a yellow dotted line, which prohibits drivers from parking in the space for more than five minutes. If she had been caught, she would have faced a fine of 40,000 won ($30).

Moon is suspected of parking her car at 6:57 p.m. Friday before heading to a nearby restaurant. The car remained parked for about seven hours until she returned at around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, allegedly inebriated.

She is also accused of driving through a red light and making an improper left turn at an intersection. She then collided with a taxi while changing lanes in front of the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon at 2:51 a.m., according to Yongsan police.

Moon has been booked on charges of drunk driving in violation of the Road Traffic Act. Her blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.14 percent, significantly above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, which is the threshold for revoking a driver's license.

During a regular press briefing on Monday, a senior police official said that Moon complied with a breathalyzer test on site and then walked to a nearby police station for an identity check and a brief investigation.

Multiple media reports indicated that Moon was expected to attend an investigation on Monday, but an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told Yonhap News Agency that the date is still being scheduled and nothing has been finalized yet.

The conservative People Power Party (PPP) on Monday criticized the incident, calling for an apology from the former president.

“Moon has said during his term that drunk driving is not a mistake but an act of murder,” said PPP Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok during a supreme council meeting. “The public will remember those words.”

PPP Rep. Park Jeong-hun also suggested that it would be better for the former president to issue "a prompt apology" during a CBS radio segment, adding that the public should recall how Moon had previously expressed his strong views against drunk driving.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]