Kim Sae-ron, Kwak Do-won, Lee Ru, etc.
Repeated Drunk Driving in the Entertainment Industry
Actor Jin Yesol, who was accused of drunk driving and crashing into a guardrail on Seoul Olympic-daero, has apologized for the drunk driving incident.
On the 13th, Jin posted on her SNS, “I sincerely apologize once again,” adding, “As a public figure, I should have taken responsibility for all my actions and made more careful decisions, but due to a moment of careless judgment, I committed a grave mistake that should never have happened.”
She continued, “I apologize once again to everyone who supports me,” and said, “I am deeply sorry and ashamed. I bow my head once more to express my sincere apologies.”
Jin’s agency also released a statement apologizing.
DI Entertainment stated, “On the night of the 12th at 10:30 PM, Jin was returning home after drinking at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.”
They added, “There is no excuse for Jin’s drunk driving and her actions while driving. Jin and the agency deeply feel responsible and will reflect on this,” and said, “DI Entertainment and Jin will promptly devise measures to ensure that no harm comes to related parties.”
According to the Gangdong Police Station in Seoul, Jin is suspected of driving under the influence and crashing into a guardrail on Olympic-daero heading toward Hanam around 10:30 PM on the 12th.
Another driver who witnessed the accident suspected drunk driving and reported it to the police. There were no passengers, and no injuries were reported from the accident.
Later, Jin was caught by the police while asleep in the driver’s seat at a traffic light at an intersection in Godeok-dong, Gangdong-gu. Her blood alcohol concentration was reportedly at the license cancellation level (0.08%). The police have booked Jin on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and are investigating the exact circumstances based on dashcam footage and witness statements.
Jin Yesol debuted in 2009 as part of SBS’s 11th public talent recruitment. She has appeared in dramas such as “Today’s Webtoon” (2022), “My Brilliant Life” (2020), “Get Out of My Way, Fate” (2018), and “The Return of Bok Danji” (2017).
Kim Saeron, Kwak Do-won, Lee Ru, and Others... Continued Drunk Driving in the Entertainment Industry
Meanwhile, drunk driving among celebrities continues to be an issue. Kim Saeron, Kwak Do-won, Shin Hyesung, Lee Ru, and Nam Taehyun have recently caused controversies due to drunk driving.
Actor Kim Saeron caused an accident last May at Hakdong Intersection in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, while driving drunk and hitting roadside trees and a transformer. The court sentenced her to a fine of 20 million KRW.
Actor and singer Lee Ru (real name Jo Seonghyun) was indicted without detention last September for drinking and driving in Hannam-dong and then attempting to cover up by claiming that a female professional golfer passenger was driving. The prosecution sought a one-year prison sentence and a 100,000 KRW fine on four charges including aiding the escape of a criminal, aiding drunk driving, drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, and speeding.
In the same month, actor Kwak Do-won was caught asleep in his car while drunk driving on a road in Jeju and was summarily indicted with a fine of 10 million KRW.
Singer Shin Hyesung was brought to trial last October for driving someone else’s car while asleep and refusing a breathalyzer test. The court sentenced Shin to six months in prison with a one-year probation. Shin was also booked for drunk driving in 2007.
Drunk driving is punishable by imprisonment or fines depending on blood alcohol concentration and the number of offenses, and administrative penalties such as license suspension or cancellation may also apply.
Even for a first offense, if the blood alcohol concentration is 0.03% or higher, the penalty can be imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 5 million KRW. For habitual offenders, the possibility of imprisonment is higher.
If an accident occurs due to drunk driving, the punishment is more severe: if injury is caused, imprisonment from one to fifteen years or a fine between 10 million and 30 million KRW may be imposed; if the victim dies, life imprisonment can be imposed.
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