Television personality Lee Hyuk-jae is under police investigation for a drunk driving incident in Songdo, Incheon.
On September 9, the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station announced that Lee has been charged with drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.
According to police, Lee is accused of colliding with the rear of a motorcycle that was stopped at a traffic signal around 10 p.m. the previous day, injuring the 20-something motorcycle rider.
Fortunately, the rider, identified as A, did not sustain serious injuries, but Lee was found to be driving under the influence. At the time of the accident, his blood alcohol concentration was within the range that can lead to a license suspension (0.03% to less than 0.08%).
It has been confirmed that there were no passengers in Lee's vehicle.
A police official stated, “If the injuries to the victim are confirmed, charges under the Special Act on Traffic Accidents may also be applied.”
This is not the first time a celebrity has faced scrutiny for drunk driving. Recently, actor Lee Jae-ryong and pop artist Nancy Lang were also reported for similar offenses.
Lee Jae-ryong was involved in an incident on March 6, around 11:03 p.m., when he crashed his car into a central divider while driving under the influence in Cheongdam, Gangnam, Seoul. The collision caused approximately 3 million won in damages to the divider, but he left the scene without taking any action.
About 20 minutes later, at around 11:23 p.m., he visited a restaurant in Sinsa-dong and reportedly consumed more high-end distilled soju, leading to allegations of attempting to evade a breathalyzer test by drinking more alcohol, a practice known as 'drunk driving evasion.'
However, during police questioning, he denied drinking before the hit-and-run incident but later admitted to having consumed four glasses of soju and claimed he thought he had only lightly brushed against the divider.
Nonetheless, prosecutors determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove Lee's blood alcohol level at the time of the accident, leading to a decision not to charge him with drunk driving. He is facing trial for leaving the scene of the accident and obstructing a breathalyzer test.
Lee Jae-ryong had previously faced legal issues for drunk driving, including a 2019 incident where he knocked over a sign at a bowling alley in Gangnam, resulting in a deferred prosecution for property damage, and a 2003 incident in the same area where he had his license revoked for refusing a breathalyzer test after a drunk driving accident.
Nancy Lang was also apprehended for driving under the influence around 3:45 a.m. on September 8, after driving approximately 3 kilometers in a drunken state in the Gangnam area. The Gangnam Police Station has reportedly charged her with drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, although she claimed through the media that she had only consumed a couple of glasses of champagne and was not inebriated, asserting that reports of her being charged were false. The police plan to summon Nancy Lang for questioning soon.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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