Dangerous Driving Causing Death and Injury Case (Reiwa 7 (Wa) No. 55)

On February 28, 2025, in Midori-ku, Nagoya, Japan, a 32-year-old South Korean national, Kim Seong-ho, drove a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and prescription medication. He ran a red light at a pedestrian crossing and struck a married couple. Hanako Yamada, 68, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene, while her husband, Taro Yamada, 70, suffered severe injuries. The Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office charged Kim with dangerous driving causing death and injury. During the trial at the Nagoya District Court, the defense argued that the defendant was in a state of diminished consciousness due to medication and should face the lesser charge of negligent driving causing death and injury. The court ultimately convicted Kim of the more serious offense.

The Nagoya District Court, presided over by Judge Hiroshi Tanaka, found Kim Seong-ho guilty of dangerous driving causing death and injury. On April 22, 2025, he was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment with labor.

The central legal dispute was whether the defendant's level of intoxication and impairment met the strict legal threshold for "dangerous driving causing death or injury" under Japan's Penal Code, or whether the facts only supported the less severe charge of "negligent driving causing death or injury."

The case intensified online nationalist sentiment, with widespread anti-Korean comments on Japanese social media and reciprocal reactions in South Korea. It reignited public debate over the adequacy of Japan's dangerous driving laws and perceived disparities in the treatment of foreign defendants. The case also prompted calls for stricter bail conditions and harsher penalties for drunk and reckless driving.