Roh Hwan-kyu Raises Question:
"Why Are the Standards Different?"
Former President of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), Roh Hwan-gyu, mentioned actor Kim Sae-ron, who passed away at the age of 25 after suffering from malicious comments and criticism following a drunk driving incident, alongside Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
On the 21st, Roh posted on his social media (SNS) account, "Someone committed drunk driving four times and is still a presidential candidate, while someone else was harshly criticized for a single drunk driving incident and ultimately passed away. Why is the standard different?"
He added, "After the accident caused a transformer to malfunction, cutting off electricity supply for three hours and causing damage such as the inability to process card payments at about 57 nearby stores, she personally visited each one to apologize and compensate. This is an unusual act for a celebrity," sharing a report about Kim Sae-ron’s compensation after her drunk driving traffic accident.
Although Roh did not directly name Lee Jae-myung, he is the only prominent presidential candidate recently known to have a drunk driving record. This led to interpretations that Roh was referring to Lee. Lee was fined 1.5 million won in 2004 for drunk driving. His blood alcohol concentration was reportedly 0.158%, which is at the license cancellation level.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, at around 4:54 p.m. on the 16th. She was 25 years old. Police investigations found no signs of external intrusion or criminal suspicion. She faced severe criticism after causing a drunk driving traffic accident in May 2022, which effectively halted her acting career.
At the time of the accident in May 2022, those claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s fans issued a statement saying, "Lee Jae-myung was also fined for drunk driving in the past but received over 47% of the vote and the support of more than 16 million people in the presidential election," and "We earnestly urge Kim Sae-ron not to be too discouraged and to quietly move forward toward tomorrow." They also wrote, "After the rejection of the arrest warrant on February 27, Lee is faithfully fulfilling his role as a representative of the Korean people and a member of the National Assembly," and "If Kim Sae-ron returns to her original intentions and reflects sincerely on her mistakes, the public will recognize her sincerity." The statement was deleted after it spread widely.
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