Jang Je-won's Son, Rapper Noel, Faces Possible Prison Sentence for Unlicensed Driving and Assaulting Police?

Rapper Jang Yong-jun (Noel), son of Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] Jang Yongjun (21, stage name Noel), the son of People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won, has been booked on charges of assaulting a police officer who requested a breathalyzer test while he was driving without a license.

On the 18th at around 10:30 p.m., Jang caused a minor collision with another vehicle while driving a Mercedes-Benz without a license in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. When the police officers who arrived at the scene requested a breathalyzer test and identification, Jang refused and reportedly headbutted one of the officers.

Jang was arrested on the spot as a suspect, briefly questioned, and then released to go home. The owner of the other vehicle involved in the collision was reported to have sustained no serious injuries. Afterwards, Jang posted an apology on his social media, stating, "I have nothing to say," "I will accept all the consequences and strive to become a more mature member of society," and "I sincerely apologize to all my fans and everyone who was affected by me."

Rapper Jang Yong-jun (Noel), son of Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This is not the first time Jang has caused a traffic accident. In September 2019, he was involved in a traffic accident in Mapo-gu, Seoul, while driving under the influence and collided with a motorcycle. At that time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.129%, which is above the license cancellation threshold. Jang attempted to have someone else take the blame by switching drivers but eventually turned himself in to the police.

He was sentenced in the first trial to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year probation and was ordered to complete 40 hours of safe driving education. He did not appeal, so the sentence was finalized. In other words, he caused another unlicensed traffic accident during his probation period. Due to this, there is growing speculation that he will receive a prison sentence for this recent incident.

Earlier, in February, Jang was sent to the police on charges of assault after verbally abusing pedestrians, spitting, and pushing a person's chest on a street in Busanjin-gu, Busan. The police confirmed his violent behavior by reviewing CCTV footage from the area, but the prosecution dismissed the case due to lack of prosecution rights.

Recently, Jang stirred controversy by posting derogatory remarks about disaster relief fund recipients on his social media. After capturing a comment from a netizen, he posted, "People who receive disaster relief funds act tough on the internet but do cartwheels out of joy," which sparked backlash. He later deleted all his social media posts.

Meanwhile, Jang first gained public attention as the son of People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won when he appeared on Mnet's "High School Rapper" in 2017. However, he withdrew after the first episode when evidence surfaced on his social media suggesting an attempt to engage in prostitution with a minor.