I'm a hit-and-run victim. Where do I report?

What the Law Says

South Korean law treats hit-and-run offenses seriously and imposes strict reporting obligations on victims and drivers alike. Failure to report can affect compensation rights and criminal investigations.

Under the Criminal Act, fleeing the scene of a traffic accident without providing assistance or identifying oneself is a criminal offense. Victims are strongly encouraged—and in many cases legally expected—to report promptly to preserve evidence and trigger official investigation.

The Road Traffic Act requires drivers involved in accidents causing injury or death to stop immediately, assist injured persons, and report to police without delay. While victims aren’t criminally liable for failing to report, delayed reporting may hinder enforcement and insurance claims.

Victims have the right to file a criminal complaint under Article 159 of the Criminal Act, which governs abandonment after causing injury or death in traffic accidents.

Statutory Text

A person who causes injury or death by driving a vehicle and abandons the victim without providing necessary aid shall be punished by imprisonment with labor for not more than seven years or a fine of not more than KRW 30,000,000.

— Criminal Act, s. 159 — Abandonment after Causing Injury or Death by Driving

Statutory Text

Any person who has been involved in a traffic accident resulting in injury or death shall immediately stop the vehicle, provide necessary aid to the injured, and report the accident to the competent police authority without delay.

— Road Traffic Act, s. 50 — Duty to Stop and Report After Accident

What to Do

Sources