'Jang Je-won’s son' Jang Yong-jun sentenced to 1 year in prison for unlicensed driving and refusal to undergo breathalyzer test

Rapper Jang Yong-jun (Noel), son of People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won, who was booked on charges including unlicensed driving and assaulting a police officer, is entering the Seocho Police Station in Seoul on the afternoon of September 30 last year for questioning.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Rapper Jang Yongjun (22, stage name Noel), who was prosecuted for refusing a breathalyzer test and assaulting a police officer, has had his prison sentence upheld by the Supreme Court. Jang is the son of Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party.

On the morning of the 14th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Heung-gu) upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing Jang to one year in prison on charges including violation of the Road Traffic Act (driving without a license).

The court stated, "There is no error in the lower court's acquittal on the injury charge due to lack of evidence, and no violation of logic or the rules of experience," dismissing the prosecution's appeal. Jang's appeal claiming the sentences in the first and second trials were too harsh was also dismissed.

Earlier, on September 18 last year, around 10:30 p.m., Jang was caught at the scene after causing a collision with another vehicle while driving a Mercedes-Benz passenger car at an intersection in Seocho-gu, Seoul, refusing to take a breathalyzer test, and assaulting police officers.

Video footage revealed in court showed Jang using abusive language such as "Get out of the way, you XX" and engaging in a physical struggle with responding police officers, as well as staggering on the road to avoid getting into the patrol car. There was also footage of Jang, handcuffed, assaulting a police officer.

The first and second trials both sentenced him to one year in prison. The first trial court stated, "The defendant committed this crime by refusing the breathalyzer test and assaulting officers during the probation period despite having a criminal record for drunk driving and receiving a suspended sentence. The guilt is serious, making a prison sentence unavoidable." Jang was detained during the trial but was released at the end of last month after the detention was canceled.

In 2019, Jang was also sentenced in June 2020 to one year and six months in prison with a two-year probation for crashing into a motorcycle while driving under the influence in Mapo-gu, Seoul.