Korea DUI Fine and Penalty Calculator

Estimate Korean DUI BAC brackets, fines, imprisonment exposure, license suspension or revocation, insurance impact, and avoidable cost.

BAC and offense facts

BAC input

Accident facts

Accident type

Effective BAC

0.080%

0.08%-0.20%

Practical fine range

₩3,000,000 - ₩7,000,000

License sanction

License revocation

1 year disqualification

Estimated total cost

₩6,750,000 - ₩10,750,000

Fine, license reacquisition, insurance surcharge, and average legal fees.

Criminal penalty

BAC bracket
0.08%-0.20%
Statutory fine range
₩5,000,000 - ₩10,000,000
Imprisonment range
1 to 2 years
Trial path
Summary procedure

Administrative and insurance impact

License action
License revocation
Disqualification / suspension
1 year disqualification
Insurance surcharge
0%
Annual extra premium estimate
₩0
Own-car coverage exclusion
Not shown
Insurer subrogation risk
Not shown

Cost comparison

Fine estimate
₩3,000,000 - ₩7,000,000
License reacquisition
₩750,000
Insurance surcharge for 3 years
₩0
Average legal fees
₩3,000,000
Designated driver benchmark
₩15,000
Avoided cost vs designated driver
₩6,735,000 - ₩10,735,000

Related calculators

What Is the Korea DUI Fine and Penalty Calculator?

This calculator estimates Korean DUI consequences from blood alcohol concentration, repeat offense count, breath-test refusal, accident type, hit-and-run status, and drinking facts. It calculates the same Korean pure-function model used by the Korean page: effective BAC, criminal fine range, imprisonment risk, license suspension or revocation, insurance impact, and total avoidable cost.

The model reflects the Road Traffic Act, the strengthened post-Yoon Chang-ho Act DUI framework, and aggravated punishment for DUI accidents. It preserves the Korean page's BAC thresholds of 0.03%, 0.08%, and 0.20%, repeat-offense aggravation, refusal treatment, and insurance cost assumptions.

Important Safety Note

This calculator is for legal and financial estimation only. It is not a tool for deciding whether to drive. Korean DUI enforcement begins at 0.03% BAC, and BAC can continue rising after drinking stops.

BAC Brackets and First-Offense Penalties

BAC bracketCriminal penaltyLicense sanction
Below 0.03%Below DUI enforcement thresholdNo DUI sanction in the calculator
0.03% to below 0.08%Up to 1 year imprisonment or fine up to KRW 5M100-day suspension
0.08% to below 0.20%1 to 2 years imprisonment or KRW 5M-10M fineRevocation, generally 1-year disqualification
0.20% or higher2 to 5 years imprisonment or KRW 10M-20M fineRevocation, generally 1-year disqualification

Refusal, Repeat Offenses, and Accidents

Breath-Test Refusal

Refusal is treated as a separate serious offense. The calculator applies a punishment range of 1 to 5 years imprisonment or KRW 5M-20M fine. Administrative license revocation is also applied.

Repeat Offenses

Repeat DUI within the relevant statutory period is aggravated. The calculator uses KRW 10M-20M fine exposure or 2 to 5 years imprisonment for second or later offenses, and increases formal-trial and imprisonment risk for third or later offenses.

  • Second offense: aggravated criminal range and license revocation with a longer disqualification period.
  • Third or later offense: very high imprisonment risk in the calculator and longer license disqualification.

DUI Accidents and Hit-and-Run

Injury or death accidents shift the analysis away from an ordinary DUI-only case. The calculator applies aggravated punishment, insurance subrogation risk, own-car coverage exclusion risk, and longer license disqualification.

  • Injury accident: 1 to 15 years imprisonment or KRW 10M-30M fine can apply.
  • Death accident: life imprisonment or at least 3 years imprisonment can apply.
  • Hit-and-run death: life imprisonment or at least 5 years imprisonment can apply.
  • Injury hit-and-run: license disqualification can reach 5 years in the administrative model.

BAC Estimation Method

Widmark-Based Estimate

If measured BAC is not entered, the calculator estimates BAC from drink type, drink amount, body weight, gender, elapsed time, and meal status. The Korean model uses drink definitions such as soju, beer, wine, whiskey, makgeolli, highball, and draft beer.

Estimated BAC = alcohol grams / (body weight x Widmark ratio) x absorption factor - hourly elimination

  • Gender ratio: the model uses different Widmark ratios for male and female inputs.
  • Meal status: full meal, snack, or empty stomach changes absorption.
  • Elapsed time: the model subtracts hourly elimination, but actual BAC may vary widely.
  • Rounding: effective BAC is rounded to three decimal places in the Korean calculation.

Administrative and Insurance Impact

License Sanctions

  • 0.03% to below 0.08% first offense: 100-day suspension.
  • 0.08% or higher first offense: revocation and generally 1-year disqualification.
  • Refusal: revocation and generally 1-year disqualification for a first offense.
  • Repeat DUI: revocation and longer disqualification, commonly 2 years or more in the calculator.
  • DUI injury accident: 2 years for a first offense, 3 years for repeat in the calculator.
  • DUI death or injury hit-and-run: 5-year disqualification in the calculator.

Insurance and Cost Assumptions

The calculator includes insurance surcharge and subrogation risk only when an accident is selected. It uses an average annual premium of KRW 800,000 and surcharge years of 3 years.

  • Surcharge rates: 50%, 100%, or 200% depending on BAC bracket.
  • License reacquisition estimate: KRW 750,000 when license is revoked.
  • Average legal fees: KRW 3,000,000 for non-safe criminal cases.
  • Designated driver benchmark: KRW 15,000 average cost.

How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter BAC or Drinking Facts

Use measured BAC if available. Otherwise select estimate mode and enter drink type, amount, body weight, elapsed time, and meal status.

2. Add Offense and Refusal Facts

Select first, second, or third-or-later offense and turn on breath-test refusal if applicable.

3. Add Accident Facts

Select property damage, injury, serious injury, death, and hit-and-run status if relevant.

4. Review Criminal, License, Insurance, and Cost Results

Compare fine range, imprisonment exposure, license sanction, insurance cost, and the designated-driver cost benchmark.

FAQ

Is 0.03% really the DUI threshold in Korea?

Yes. The calculator uses the 0.03% enforcement threshold. Even low BAC can lead to criminal punishment and a 100-day suspension.

Is refusing a test safer than taking it?

No. Refusal is punished seriously and the calculator treats it as a separate high-risk case with license revocation.

Does a property-damage accident matter?

Yes. Even when injury is absent, insurance and settlement issues can make the total cost much higher than the criminal fine alone.

Can the BAC estimate prove a case?

No. The estimate is educational. Actual enforcement depends on official breath or blood testing, timing, evidence, and investigation records.

Legal References

  • Road Traffic Act: DUI BAC thresholds, breath-test refusal, and license suspension or revocation.
  • Yoon Chang-ho Act framework: strengthened DUI criminal penalties reflected in the Korean page.
  • Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes: aggravated punishment for DUI injury and death accidents.
  • Insurance practice assumptions: surcharge, own-car coverage exclusion, and subrogation risks are modeled for estimation.

The Cheapest DUI Cost Is Avoiding the Drive

The calculator compares statutory exposure with a KRW 15,000 designated-driver benchmark because fines, license loss, insurance, and legal fees can multiply quickly.

This page is a Korean-law estimate, not legal advice for a specific case.