BUSAN, July 24 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. Forces Korea soldier has been fined for driving about 260 kilometers from the southwestern city of Gwangju to the southeastern port city of Busan while intoxicated last year, a court said Friday.

The Busan District Court said the soldier, identified only as a technical noncommissioned officer, was sentenced to a fine of 15 million won (US$10,240) on charges including drunk driving.

The soldier was accused of driving a Lincoln while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.223 percent on the night of Dec. 17 last year, far exceeding South Korea's 0.08 percent threshold for driver's license revocation.

The investigation also found that the Lincoln was not covered by mandatory insurance, in violation of South Korean law.

The defendant claimed that the blood alcohol concentration reading may have been affected by an alcohol-based mouthwash used about one hour before the test. But the court rejected the claim.

ycm@yna.co.kr

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