UNDERAGE DRIVER CAUGHT DRIVING 300KM

[Anchor Lead]

A few days ago we had shocking news about a sixth grader driving a car and crashing into a building in Seoul. What's more surprising is that the child drove all the way from Daegu to Seoul all by himself and was awaiting a court disposition for driving without a license.

[Pkg]

In the early morning hours, a white SUV races toward a building in Seongdong-gu District, Seoul. Even before the car comes to a stop, the door on the passenger's side opens and a boy briskly exits the vehicle. Two police officers chase the boy. He is not even wearing a jacket and is barefoot. The boy turned out to be a sixth grader. But the caveat is that his mother reported him missing in the city of Daegu. The boy had driven his mother's car from Daegu leaving at 10:50 p.m. the day before. He followed GPS directions leading him on an expressway. After passing through Seongnam, he arrived in Seoul at 4 a.m. In other words, he drove at least 300 km all by himself. The boy told the police he wanted to visit Seoul. Although no serious accidents have occurred, the car damaged the building it crashed into.

[Soundbite] KIM YOUNG-MIN(OWNER OF DAMAGED STORE) : "The shutter, the glass inside and even the frame were all damaged. It's quite bewildering."

A further investigation has revealed the boy was awaiting a court disposition for driving someone else's car three months ago. But because he is younger than 14, he is classified as a juvenile delinquent and cannot be punished. Police will transfer the boy to the Seoul Family Court after investigating allegations regarding Road Traffic Act violations.