Read This Before Your Jeju Trip: The Drunk Driving Crisis That's Putting the Island at Risk

A cold beer at a cliffside café, a few glasses of soju at a black pork restaurant — and then, “I’m probably fine to drive.” This all-too-familiar scene plays out over and over among tourists visiting Jeju Island, and it’s grown into a crisis that threatens everyone on the road. As of 2025, Jeju holds the grim distinction of ranking among the worst regions in South Korea for both drunk driving accidents and fatalities. Enforcement has intensified, laws have toughened, and the consequences are more severe than ever. If you’re planning a trip to Jeju this summer, this is one article worth reading all the way through.

Jeju City Ranks Among the Nation’s Worst for Drunk Driving Accidents — Five Years Running

Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 71,279 drunk driving accidents occurred across South Korea, killing 1,004 people and injuring 113,715 others. Of those, Jeju City alone accounted for 1,060 accidents and 1,675 injuries. Given the island’s relatively small population and size, those numbers are staggering. In fact, Jeju City has earned the unwanted title of one of the deadliest local governments in the country when it comes to drunk driving fatalities.

Across the Jeju region over the past five years, 1,535 drunk driving accidents claimed 25 lives, with a fatality rate of 1.63% — higher than the national average of 1.41%. While the numbers have trended downward from a peak of 362 incidents in 2020 to 225 in 2024, the statistics mask devastating real-world consequences. In October 2022, a speeding drunk driver blew through an intersection in Pyoseon, Seogwipo, leaving Jeju United goalkeeper Yoo Yeon-su paralyzed from the waist down and ending his career. Behind every statistic is a life changed forever.

Why Tourist Destinations Make Drunk Driving Even More Dangerous

In 2023, drunk driving accounted for 7.7% of all traffic accidents in Jeju — above the national average and third-highest in the country, behind South Chungcheong Province (9.6%) and Incheon (8.9%). The reason isn’t hard to understand. Jeju’s public transportation is limited, and a rental car is essentially the only practical way to get around. Tourists enjoy a drink or two at a beachside café or restaurant, then rationalize getting behind the wheel with “it’s only a short drive.”

Western Jeju hotspots like the Aewol Coastal Road, Hallim, and Hyeopjae Beach are especially vulnerable. Cafés, restaurants, and guesthouses line the coastal roads, and rental car traffic surges during vacation season. The Aewol Coastal Road has repeatedly been flagged as a high-risk zone — in 2022, a rental car rollover there left seven people dead or injured. One of the island’s most breathtaking drives can turn into a tragedy in an instant.

2025 Crackdown: Enforcement Now Reaches Beyond the City Limits

Authorities are fighting back. Jeju’s autonomous police unit has been working alongside national police, conducting joint operations focused on central Seogwipo in March and April. Starting in May, enforcement expanded dramatically to include rural towns and outer districts — including accident-prone areas outside the city. On April 28th, a checkpoint near Seongeup Intersection in Pyoseon caught a local resident driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.206% — well into license-revocation territory — while out picking bracken fern. No road is off-limits anymore, not even the quiet country lanes.

The autonomous police unit has also sent cooperation letters to the Jeju Rental Car Association and 113 individual rental companies, requesting stricter vetting of drivers in their 20s and those with less than one year of driving experience, advance briefings on Jeju’s unique road conditions — narrow lanes, sharp curves, coastal roads — and thorough pre-rental safety checks on tires and safety systems. In partnership with the Jeju Tourism Association, QR codes at the Jeju Airport information desk now let visitors check the real-time locations of speed and sobriety enforcement cameras across the island.

Know the 2025 Drunk Driving Penalties Before You Get in That Car

The law has teeth now. Here’s what every visitor should know before driving in Jeju:

BAC 0.03% or higher: Easily reached with just one or two drinks. Penalty: license suspension and 100 demerit points.
BAC 0.08% or higher: Automatic license revocation.
BAC 0.2% or higher (first offense): Two to five years in prison, or a fine of 10 to 20 million Korean won.
Repeat offenders whose licenses have been revoked twice within five years must have an ignition interlock device installed before they can drive again.
Starting June 4, 2025, a new law specifically targets drivers who consume additional alcohol after being stopped — a tactic used to skew breathalyzer results. This so-called “drink spiking after a stop” is now a separate criminal offense.

Tourists are not exempt. If you’re caught drunk driving in a rental car, your insurance coverage is void — meaning every repair bill and compensation claim comes straight out of your pocket. “My Jeju vacation ruined my life” is not an exaggeration. It has happened, and it can happen again.

So What Should You Actually Do? Practical Alternatives That Work

The simplest answer: if you’ve been drinking, leave the car at the accommodation. Here are some practical options to plan around:

Designated driver services: Available island-wide and easily booked through apps like Kakao Daeri or T-map Daeri. Typical cost: 10,000–20,000 won (roughly $7–$15 USD).
Taxis and Kakao T: Expect delays around popular tourist spots during peak hours — book in advance when possible.
Smart accommodation planning: If you know you’ll be drinking, book a place within walking distance of restaurants and cafés for that night. Consider returning your rental car for the day rather than letting it sit unused in a parking lot while you worry about driving later.
Don’t forget the morning after: If you drank late into the night, your blood alcohol level may still be over the limit the next morning. It drops more slowly than most people think.

Keeping Jeju’s stunning roads safe comes down to individual choices. Drunk driving isn’t a risk you take alone — it’s a threat to every person sharing the road with you. This summer, if you want your Jeju memories to stay happy ones, take one extra moment before you reach for those car keys.

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