While North Korea was launching its rocket into the Pacific, well-to-do South Koreans were launching rockets — pasta rockets — along the roads just outside Seoul, with police arresting 301(!) people for drag racing.
Between March and November of last year, these drag racers held some 722 races on the Incheon Airport Highway, Freedom Road, Unification Bridge and Seohae Bridge
The races were very organized — the venue changed every weekend, with races taking place between midnight and 2am. For example, with races at Freedom Road near Paju’s Imjingak Pavilion, organizers put a sentry atop Imjingak to watch for the police. If Five-O showed up, the 150-200 cars would turn off their headlights and engines and wait quietly — presumably, the po-po would pay no mind to 100 or so imported high-performance sports cars waiting in the dark on one of Korea’s few stretches of straight, flat road. Participants also played with the traffic lights to make getting around easier.
If you like fine cars, this was the place to be — one participant, a 31-year-old car importer named Mr. Kim, drove a 1.7 billion won Ferrari Enzo. A 38-year-old doctor/drag racer drove a 1.45 billion won Maserati, of which there are only two in Korea. A 42-year-old head of a provincial construction company participated in 63 races, alternating between a Lamborghini, Benz, Ferrari and a 1 billion won Koenigsegg.
In order to promote the races, a 30-year-old Mr. Jeong (self-employed) shot a video of himself topping 355km an hour in a Lamborghini on the Incheon Airport Highway. Aside from the minor speeding issue, Jeong didn’t have a license: his old one was canceled for drunk driving.
Participants included a historian, researchers, USFK dependents, the head of an entertainment company, a pro golfer, a TV producer, the children of big company execs and other professionals and high income earners. Three women raced, too, including a nurse and a researcher with an international organization.
OhMyNews has a sweet video of the races, courtesy Seoul District Prosecutors.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Pure awesomeness. I’m guessing these guys don’t have a solid track to race on. If there is a demand, build it. Even if a track was available, the American in me loves seeing these kind of stories, except for the part about the police and arrests. The groups chose a remote location. I wonder if the physically stopped other traffic for everyone’s protection. Go outlaw drag racers. Bring on the bike races.
알 만한 사람들이…
What a biased headline …
Anyway this also reminds me one of story that I heard long time ago. Do anyone heard a story that while ago an Italian expat assigned for Ferrari (or Maserati) Japan chased down and arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan police after driving ultra high-speed with one of imported car on the Tokyo Metropolitan Inter-city Highway for an hour. It was his “cleaver” intension to promote his company’s high-performance sports car line and the chase was actually televised by local media. It was the successful promotion after all as so many rich Japanese and Yakuza bought those luxurious cars after the chase. Maybe this isn’t true story but still was very interesting story.
So, they are racing on the road to Incheon airport late at night, right? Given that the airport is practically dead after 8pm, I don’t imagine its much to be concerned about.
Freedom Road up past Ilsan has been a favorite drag stip since at least the mid-1990s. I can remember an old girlfriend or two taking me there for the 2 am shows. Sad to say, the only cars on the circuit then were suped-up Daewoo Lemans and Hyundai Scoupes!
I kinda like the fact that this kind of thing is happening in Korea. In California, I’d probably think of these guys as midlife crisis-type pricks, but in Korea it’s almost like they’re stickin’ it to the man.
Drift on, bros!
DLB
#4,
Actually, chaebol family members, lawyers (future politicians?), etc…They are the man.
EXACTLY! That’s what makes this otherwise humdrum story so sweet.
Plus, you now have the prospect of cops trying to chase down, in their Hyundai Whatevers, some rich dudes driving some of the world’s fastest, most premier vehicles, rather than some poor schmuck teenagers on 100cc scooters.
This story writes itself.
Cheers,
DLB
I love how they race past pedestrians only half a meter from the cars at 300 kmh. Really cool.
#7,
They are?! That’s criminal.
Drag racing kills people! it’s illegal! confiscate their cars and driving licenses.
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