Seoul police arrested an unidentified U.S. soldier on suspicion of driving a Hyundai Staria, like this one, on Sept. 10, 2023. (Wikimedia Commons)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Police in Seoul arrested an American soldier on suspicion of driving drunk in a stolen minivan in the city early Sunday.

The minivan’s owner reported his Hyundai Staria had disappeared around 4:10 a.m. from its streetside parking spot in the Jongno district, a detective from the district’s police station told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

South Korean officials regularly speak to the media on the customary condition of anonymity.

Seoul police pulled the vehicle over less than a half-mile from its parking spot, the detective said. The driver, a U.S. soldier in his 30s under the influence of alcohol, told police he found the keys to the minivan and “accidentally” took the car, the detective said.

No injuries or damage were reported.

A police breath test measured the soldier’s blood alcohol level at 0.08%, higher by 0.05% than the legal limit for drivers in South Korea, the detective said. By comparison, all 50 U.S. states have set 0.08% as the legal limit for driving under the influence or while impaired.

The detective declined to identify the soldier or the base where he’s stationed, citing South Korean privacy laws covering people suspected of a crime.

The soldier was handed over to U.S. Forces Korea military police, the detective said. U.S. Forces Korea, the command responsible for approximately 28,500 troops in the country, maintains custody of its personnel in criminal matters unless they are accused of serious crimes.

Police are still investigating the incident and plan to request an interview; no charges against the soldier were filed as of Monday, according to the detective.