Actress Kim Sae-ron (23), who was indicted for driving under the influence and crashing into roadside trees and a transformer, appeared at her first trial and admitted to all charges.
Actor Kim Sae-ron, who caused an accident last May by driving under the influence while intoxicated and hitting street trees and a transformer, is attending the first trial held on the morning of the 8th at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the morning of the 8th, Judge Lee Hwan-gi of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 4 presided over Kim Sae-ron's first trial on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving and failure to take action after an accident). Also present at the trial was a male passenger in his 20s who was in Kim Sae-ron’s vehicle, facing charges of aiding and abetting drunk driving.
Kim Sae-ron’s side admitted to all charges. The defense attorney stated, "The defendant has vowed never to commit such an offense again and is living a life avoiding alcohol as much as possible," adding, "She has sold all her vehicles and has directly apologized to the victims and paid all compensation."
Furthermore, "The defendant was the head of her household, supporting her family. Due to this incident, not only the defendant but also her family is suffering financial hardship," and "It is believed that the prosecutor took these circumstances into consideration when recommending a fine," the defense appealed for leniency.
In her final statement, Kim Sae-ron said, "This will never happen again," and "I am truly sorry and remorseful." The passenger also said, "I am truly remorseful and will make sure this never happens again."
The prosecutor requested the court to sentence Kim Sae-ron to a fine of 20 million won. The prosecutor pointed out, "She drove under the influence with a very high blood alcohol concentration and caused an accident, then fled without taking any action, which is a very serious offense." A fine of 5 million won was requested for the passenger.
The judge decided to hold the sentencing hearing for them on the 5th of next month at 9:50 a.m.
Earlier, Kim Sae-ron was indicted for causing an accident on the morning of May 18 last year around 8 a.m. in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where she drove under the influence and repeatedly crashed into guardrails and roadside trees.
At the time, Kim Sae-ron’s vehicle also collided with a transformer, cutting off electricity supply to 57 nearby stores and other locations, which was restored after about three hours. During this process, some surrounding shops experienced power outages, causing damages such as inability to process card payments.
Since Kim Sae-ron refused to undergo a blood alcohol concentration test, the police requested a blood test from the National Forensic Service. The test results showed a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.2%, well above the license cancellation threshold of 0.08%.
The day after the accident, Kim Sae-ron posted on her social media account, saying, "I caused harm to many people including nearby shop owners, citizens, and those who helped with the restoration due to my wrong judgment and actions," and "I sincerely apologize." It is also known that she visited the buildings and shops that suffered financial damage to apologize and attempt compensation.
The prosecution received the case from the police and indicted Kim Sae-ron without detention on December 16 last year, about six months after the incident.
Kim Sae-ron, who debuted as a child actress, appeared in films such as "Ajeossi," "Neighbor," and "Babi," as well as dramas like "The Queen’s Classroom" and "The Witch’s Diner." After the accident, she withdrew from dramas and suspended her entertainment activities. It was reported last November that she was working part-time at a cafe due to financial difficulties.
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