DUI Blood Alcohol Calculator
Simulate DUI penalties under Korean traffic law from BAC and prior offenses. Calculates license suspension, fines, criminal penalties, and insurance surcharges.
WARNING: Drunk driving is a criminal offense in Korea. This simulator is for informational purposes only β not legal advice.
License Disposition
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Expected Fine Range
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Criminal Penalty
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Total Estimated Cost
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Notice: Based on the Korean Road Traffic Act 2026. Actual penalties may vary by court ruling and individual circumstances. This is not legal advice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the DUI threshold in Korea?
BAC β₯ 0.03% triggers a DUI stop. 0.03β0.08%: license suspension (100-day demerit). 0.08%+: license revocation. Refusing a test also results in revocation.
Q. Can I get my license back after revocation?
After the disqualification period (1β2 years; longer for accident-related revocations), you may reapply. Fatal accident DUI under special law requires 5+ years.
Q. How does the cost compare to hiring a designated driver?
A designated driver costs β©10,000ββ©20,000. A first-offense DUI means minimum β©3M in fines plus insurance surcharges β over 150x the cost of a driver.
Q. What BAC level is 0.03%?
For a 70kg adult male, roughly 2 shots of soju (1/3 of a 360ml bottle) or one 500ml beer can. This is the DUI enforcement threshold.
Q. How long does alcohol take to clear?
On average, BAC decreases ~0.015% per hour. Drinking 1 bottle of soju (7 shots) can take 8β10 hours to fully clear. Morning-after driving may still constitute DUI.
Q. What are the penalties for DUI in Korea?
BAC 0.03β0.08%: β©3β5M fine + suspension. 0.08β0.2%: 1β2 years prison + revocation. 0.2%+: 2β5 years prison + revocation.
How to Use
Input your BAC (%). Roughly: 2 shots of soju β 0.02β0.03%; 3 shots β 0.05β0.08%.
Choose: First offense, Second offense within 5 years, or Third+ offense.
If an accident occurred while impaired, special traffic laws apply, dramatically increasing penalties.
License action, fine range, criminal penalty, and 3-year insurance surcharge total are displayed.
Expert Knowledge: DUI Blood Alcohol Calculator
Korea's 2019 "Yoon Chang-ho Law" dramatically strengthened DUI penalties. The enforcement threshold dropped from 0.05% to 0.03% BAC, and 0.08%+ now mandates automatic license revocation.
Penalties for repeat offenders are severe. A second offense within 5 years mandates a minimum 2-year prison sentence. A third or subsequent offense can result in up to 6 years. DUI fatalities trigger the Special Act on Aggravated Punishment, carrying life imprisonment or a minimum 3-year term.
Financial impact extends far beyond fines. License reacquisition costs β©600,000ββ©800,000; auto insurance surcharges add 30β50% for 3 years; civil accident settlements can reach tens of millions. Even a first offense easily exceeds β©5M total β and at-fault accidents push total costs into the hundreds of millions.
Alcohol elimination averages ~0.015% BAC per hour. Drinking a full bottle of soju (BAC ~0.12%) requires roughly 6 hours to drop below the 0.03% threshold. Morning-after driving without sufficient sleep can still result in a DUI β always allow adequate time or use a designated driver.
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