South Korea cracks down on alcohol-fueled violence
Alcohol-induced violence in public and at home is common, but courts have traditionally been reluctant to impose harsh penalties on suspects who claimed they were under the influence.
A poll this year found that alcohol was a factor in almost a third of the 3m serious crimes – including murder, robbery and rape – recorded over the past five years. Drunkenness was cited in 76% of public order offences and 44% of cases of domestic violence.
A sales manager at Hite-Jinro told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper: "We felt tremendously responsible for social problems caused by drinking and will help efforts to change our drinking culture to a more positive one."
Song Ran-hee, of the Korea Women's Hot Line, told the newspaper: "Men tend to resort to violence because they are drunk, and then they tend to drink more to avoid the shame of what they have done. If this happens frequently, it becomes a vicious...