Mongolian embassy staffer accused of causing 3-vehicle pileup in Seoul invokes diplomatic immunity
Published: 19 Jan. 2026, 19:04
![Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency logo [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/19/08fb287c-20ba-4c81-8287-34e8ef967b69.jpg)
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency logo [YONHAP]
A staff member at the Mongolian embassy in Korea said they would invoke diplomatic immunity after allegedly causing a three-vehicle crash while driving drunk in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District.
Gangnam Police Precinct said Monday it plans to close the case without referring it to prosecutors, citing the lack of prosecutorial authority, as the embassy staff member is protected by immunity despite being investigated on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act, including drunk driving.
The employee is accused of driving under the influence near Sinsa Station in Gangnam District at around 6 a.m. on Dec. 12 and triggering a chain-reaction crash involving three vehicles. The staff member’s blood alcohol concentration was at least 0.08 percent, the level that triggers license revocation.
The staff member is not a diplomat, but police said they are covered by immunity provisions that exempt certain embassy personnel from criminal procedures in the host country. Once immunity is invoked, prosecution is not possible.
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 JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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