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Daejeon man faces murder charges for dragging driver while drunk

Published: 27 Nov. 2025, 08:55

Police logo [YONHAP]

A man was referred to prosecutors while in custody on charges of murder after allegedly dragging and killing his designated driver while driving drunk in Daejeon.

The Daejeon Yuseong Police Precinct said Wednesday that the suspect was handed over to the prosecution on charges of murder and violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

The incident took place around 1:15 a.m. on Nov. 14, when the suspect pushed the designated driver out of the driver’s seat while the car was still moving, police said. He then drove approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) with the door open and the driver partially hanging out of the car, entangled in his seatbelt.

The designated driver’s upper body was exposed to the road surface during the drive, and he suffered a severe head injury after the car struck a road barrier. He was transported to a hospital but died shortly after.

Police arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect on the spot after receiving a call from another driver who witnessed the incident.

Authorities believe the suspect committed the act while returning to Cheongju, North Chungcheong, after drinking with colleagues and calling the designated driver to bring him home. The suspect was heavily intoxicated at the time, with a blood alcohol concentration high enough for his license to be revoked.

Dashcam footage reportedly captured the suspect verbally abusing and assaulting the designated driver before forcing him out of the vehicle.

During police questioning, the suspect said he was so drunk that he could not remember what happened.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]