It was belatedly revealed that former professional baseball player Jang Wonsam was sentenced to a fine after being indicted for causing a minor traffic accident while driving under the influence.
According to the legal community on July 7, the Dongbu Branch of the Busan District Court issued a summary order of a 7 million won fine to Jang, who was summarily indicted on March 6 on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents (causing injury) and the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving). This order was finalized on March 21.
Jang was accused of driving a BMW sedan under the influence and, while reversing, colliding with a stationary vehicle on a road in front of an apartment complex in Suyeong-gu, Busan, at around 1:20 p.m. on August 17 last year. At the time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.09%, exceeding the license revocation threshold of 0.08%. The driver of the damaged vehicle sustained injuries to the waist and other areas that required two days of medical treatment.
According to the investigation, Jang had driven approximately 40 kilometers under the influence from Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, before the accident occurred. The day after the accident, Jang posted on social media, saying, "There is no excuse," and "I am sorry for disappointing you."
Jang, who joined the Hyundai Unicorns in 2002, also played for the Samsung Lions, LG Twins, and Lotte Giants. He represented South Korea at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won a gold medal. After retiring in 2020, he appeared on the entertainment program "The Strongest Baseball," but voluntarily stepped down on August 19 last year, two days after the drunk driving accident.
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