[Official] 'Drunk driving accident' Lee Yong-gyu, 'finally' retires in disgrace! Kiwoom also releases apology statement in representative's name: "Operating the team with a responsible attitude"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Yong-gyu (41), the playing coach of Kiwoom Heroes, who was involved in a chain rear-end collision caused by drunk driving, has ultimately ended his professional baseball career in disgrace.

On the 12th, the Kiwoom Heroes released an official apology statement, confirming that "Lee Yong-gyu, a playing coach affiliated with our team, was involved in a drunk driving accident while returning to his home in Guri City around 6 a.m. on the 12th after finishing a drinking session with acquaintances."

According to the team, Lee Yong-gyu collided successively with a U-turn vehicle in the opposite lane and a patrol car parked by the roadside while driving in a state of heavy intoxication. As a result of the accident, the driver of the U-turn vehicle and a police officer inside the patrol car were injured. A breathalyzer test at the scene revealed that Lee Yong-gyu's blood alcohol concentration was at a level warranting 'license revocation.'

Immediately after the accident, Lee Yong-gyu voluntarily reported the incident to the team. The Kiwoom Heroes promptly dispatched staff to the scene to assess the situation and immediately reported the matter to the KBO Clean Baseball Center.

Due to this incident, Lee Yong-gyu will leave the field. The team stated, "The coach has acknowledged his mistake without any excuse, deeply reflected on his actions, and expressed his intention to conclude his professional career with a sense of responsibility, which the team has accepted." Thus, Lee Yong-gyu, a veteran outfielder and playing coach who once dominated the league, has quietly faced 'retirement' amidst the drunk driving scandal.

Lee Yong-gyu intends to cooperate diligently with the investigation by relevant institutional investors and has conveyed to the team his sincere apology to the victims injured in this accident and his commitment to assume all responsibilities for their recovery.

The Kiwoom Heroes also bowed their heads. Through an apology statement issued in the name of Wi Jae-min (CEO), the director, the team stated, "We recognize drunk driving as a serious illegal act that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. In particular, we are taking this incident, in which a traffic accident occurred due to drunk driving, very seriously, and we sincerely apologize to fans and league officials for failing to prevent a drunk driving accident by a member of our organization in advance."

Finally, the team added, "Above all, we sincerely hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured. To prevent recurrence, we will further strengthen education and management for all members and will do our utmost to ensure that similar incidents do not occur."

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*This content was translated by AI.