One of the first things you notice living in Korea is that DUI checkpoints are not optional — and the consequences have a nickname that stopped us completely in our tracks.
Lately, we have seen a lot of this going on. Almost every night, set up in different places around our home are DUI check points. It is not voluntary like in the US. Everyone who isn’t a cab driver is stopped by the PD and given an electronic breathalyzer test. I am told that you can be fined (not nearly as much as in the states, maybe $100 US) or you can have your lisence taken away for awhile. I saw this happening as I was walking home from work one night and asked some boys on the side what was going on, they mimicked drinking a bottle of something and then said “monkey house”
Q: How do DUI checkpoints work in South Korea? A: Unlike the US where checkpoints are sometimes voluntary or selective South Korean DUI checkpoints stop every single vehicle that is not a taxi. Every driver is required to take an electronic breathalyzer test on the spot with no exceptions. We saw these set up in different locations around our neighborhood almost every night which gives you a real sense of how seriously Korea takes drink driving.
Q: What are the penalties for drunk driving in South Korea? A: Penalties include fines — significantly lower than US equivalents at roughly $100 — and potential license suspension. However repeat offenders and those over certain blood alcohol limits face much harsher consequences. The consistency and frequency of checkpoints creates a strong deterrent culture around drink driving that feels very different from most Western countries.
Q: What does monkey house mean in Korean drinking culture? A: Monkey house is the nickname Koreans use for jail or detention — specifically in the context of being arrested for drunk driving or other alcohol related offenses. When we asked locals what was happening at a checkpoint one night they mimed drinking and simply said monkey house. The nickname says everything about the consequence without needing any further explanation.
Q: Is drinking culture big in South Korea? A: Enormously so — Korea consistently ranks among the highest alcohol consuming countries in the world and drinking is deeply woven into social and professional culture. The prevalence of nightly DUI checkpoints reflects the tension between a culture that embraces drinking socially and a government determined to keep roads safe as a result.
Q: What surprised you most about living in South Korea as an expat? A: The DUI checkpoint system genuinely surprised us — the efficiency, the universality and the matter of fact way it operates every single night. It is one of those small but telling details about life in Korea that you would never read in a guidebook but that tells you a great deal about how Korean society operates and what it values.
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