Singer Iru Sentenced to Prison for Drunk Driving and Driver Substitution Attempt

Singer Lee Ru (40, Jo Seong-hyun) has been sentenced to prison for drunk driving and conspiring with a passenger to switch drivers.

On the 1st, the prosecution requested the court to sentence Lee Ru to one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 won during the trial for charges including aiding and abetting a fugitive, aiding and abetting drunk driving, drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, and speeding, held under the presiding of Judge Jeong In-jae at the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 11.

Singer Lee Ru
Photo by Victory Contents

The prosecution stated, "Although Lee Ru is a first-time offender, he was caught repeatedly driving under the influence within a short period," adding, "We considered the need for stricter punishment."

Lee Ru’s defense attorney pleaded, "He admits all charges and is deeply remorseful." He also requested leniency, citing Lee Ru’s contributions as a leading figure in the Indonesian Korean Wave and his responsibility for caring for his mother who suffers from dementia.

Last September, Lee Ru was caught by police for driving under the influence after drinking in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. He falsely testified that the female professional golfer A, who was a passenger, was the driver. A also claimed she was the driver, leading the police to send only A to the prosecution on charges of aiding and abetting a fugitive.

Subsequently, the prosecution found evidence that Lee Ru assisted A’s false testimony. However, since there was no evidence that Lee Ru forced A to switch drivers, he was indicted on charges of aiding and abetting instead of instructing a fugitive.

Additionally, Lee Ru is accused of allowing an acquaintance who had been drinking to park his private car in December last year, and then driving under the influence on the Gangbyeonbuk-ro in Seoul, where he crashed into a guardrail. At the time, Lee Ru was driving at over 180 km/h, and his blood alcohol concentration was 0.075%, which corresponds to a license suspension level.

Meanwhile, Lee Ru is the son of singer Tae Jin-ah. He debuted as a singer in 2005 and sang songs such as "Kkaman Angyeong" and "Huin Nun." He has also worked as an actor, appearing in dramas like "You Are Too Much" (2005), "Secret Man" (2020), and "Gentleman and Lady" (2021).