Chinese diplomat charged with drink-driving in South Korea will face prosecution

Police in Gwangju did not recognise the consul's drink-driving as related to official affairs, which is one of requisites for diplomatic immunity

The consul's blood alcohol content was 0.119 per cent, enough for his licence to be revoked. The legal limit in South Korea is 0.03 per cent

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The consul claimed diplomatic immunity by saying that his drink-driving was related to official duties. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 2:19pm, 12 Jul 2021Updated: 8:06pm, 12 Jul 2021

A drink-driving case of a Chinese diplomat posted in Gwangju has been transferred to the prosecution as the police concluded his case was not subject to diplomatic immunity.

The Gwangju Seobu Police Station on Monday said the consul at the Chinese Consulate General in the city, who had been caught driving under the influence of alcohol, had claimed diplomatic immunity, which protects diplomats and their families against prosecution under the host country's laws.

But the police did not recognise the consul's drink-driving as related to official affairs, which is one of requisites for diplomatic immunity, and transferred the case to the prosecution the same day to be handled as a violation of the Road Traffic Act.

“We have referred to the [South Korean] foreign ministry to check his identity and status,” a senior detective said. “The foreign ministry said his misconduct was not committed in the line of duty and therefore diplomatic immunity is not applied in this case.”

On June 20, the consul was found to have been driving his car while drunk for about 50 minutes from 1.30am on that day.

Police intercepted the consul in an underground car park of an apartment after a member of the public reported the Chinese national to police for suspected drink-driving.

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