Blood Alcohol Content, Side Effects, And Korea’s Drunk Driving Laws Explained

Within the past year, several Korean celebrities–including a former female idol, a veteran male idol, an actress, and a male singer–have made headlines for driving under the influence (DUI). BTS‘s Suga is currently under investigation by Yongsan Police for a drunk driving incident involving an electric scooter.

Suga’s DUI has sparked heated debates, in part because drunk driving laws vary from country to country. In the United States, for instance, blood alcohol content (BAC) below 0.08% does not constitute drunk driving. In South Korea, however, having a BAC of 0.03% or higher constitutes a drunk driving offense. Prior to 2018, when Korea’s drunk driving laws were tightened following the death of 22-year-old soldier Yoon Chang Ho, the legal limit was 0.05%.

What effect does blood alcohol content have on the human body? A BAC of 0.02%-0.04% results in relaxation, lightheadedness, and judgment is minimally repaired. Once BAC reaches 0.05%-0.07%, the “buzzed” state, inhibitions are lowered, minor impairments to reasoning and memory occur, and emotions become heightened.

A BAC of 0.08%-0.10% results in euphoria, impaired balance, slurred speech, and fatigue. It also affects vision, reaction time, hearing, and the drinker’s self-control. With a BAC of 0.11%-0.15%, drinkers experience more pronounced depressive effects (such as depression and anxiety). Their motor skills and judgment are severely impaired.

A BAC of 0.16%-0.19% greatly increases depressive effects, and it can also cause nausea, disorientation, and dizziness in addition to increased motor impairment, blurred vision, and impaired judgment. These side effects grow even more severe when the blood alcohol level reaches 0.20%-0.24%. People with a BAC in this range experience disorientation (losing their sense of time and place), nausea/vomiting, and severe motor impairment (may need help standing or walking). They also become impervious to pain and are likely to black out.

A BAC of 0.25%-0.30% causes severe impairment to all functions (mental, physical, sensory) and the drinker is at risk of suddenly losing consciousness. Anyone with a blood alcohol content of 0.31% or higher is in danger of falling into a coma, and/or experiencing acute alcohol poisoning, amnesia, and death caused by respiratory arrest.

A person’s sex and weight also play a role in BAC and its effects.