Actor Lee Jae-ryong was arrested after police said he caused a drunk-driving crash and left the scene in Seoul. The case has also drawn renewed attention to his recent appearance on the YouTube channel “Jjanhanhyung Shin Dong-yup,” and has cast a shadow over the return of his wife, actor Yoo Ho-jung.
According to Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station, Lee crashed into a median barrier near Samseong Jungang Station in Seoul’s Gangnam district at about 2 a.m. on March 7 while driving under the influence. Police said he then left the scene, parked the vehicle at his home and stayed at an acquaintance’s residence before being arrested.
He is being investigated on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act, including failing to take required measures after an accident. Police said his blood alcohol level at the time of arrest was high enough to trigger a license suspension.
Lee previously had his license revoked in 2003 after a drunk-driving crash and refusing a breath test. In 2019, he was given a suspended indictment after damaging a standing sign while intoxicated, police said.
Online commenters revisited an episode from last month in which Lee appeared with fellow actors. In the program, Ahn Jae-wook said Lee was the heaviest drinker among actors he knows, adding that he had never beaten him and had never seen him drunk.
Ahn recalled that when they were younger he wondered how someone could drink that much, saying Lee stayed composed even after moving from one round of drinking to a second and third.
Because Ahn has also faced controversy in the past over two drunk-driving cases, some commenters criticized the show, saying a program centered on drinking should not feature people with drunk-driving histories. Some have called for the video to be removed, but the production team has not taken action, according to the report.
“Jjanhanhyung Shin Dong-yup” is a channel in which entertainer Shin Dong-yup, known for drinking, shares candid conversations with guests over alcohol. It has about 2.07 million subscribers.
Lee’s case has also affected Yoo’s return to television. Yoo is appearing in the KBS2 weekend drama “I Prescribe Love,” her first TV drama in 11 years. Lee and Yoo married in 1995 and have a son and a daughter.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.