[Breaking News] 'Caught drunk driving five times' Son Seung-won sentenced to one year in prison in first trial.. arrested in court

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Son Seung-won, who was previously sentenced to a prison term and served time as the first celebrity punished under the 'Yoon Chang-ho Act', has been sentenced to one year in prison and arrested in court for the fifth allegation of drunk driving.

On the 11th, Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 5 (Judge Kim Hyeong-seok (Director)) held a sentencing hearing for Son Seung-won's case involving violations of the Road Traffic Act (causing injury while fleeing under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes), among other charges.

On that day, the court sentenced Son Seung-won to one year in prison and ordered his arrest in court.

Son Seung-won was arrested in flagrante delicto last November for driving the Gangbyeon Expressway in the wrong direction for about two minutes while heavily intoxicated, and was brought to trial in February this year. It is reported that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.165%, more than double the license revocation threshold of 0.08%.

Immediately after the accident, he lied to the police, claiming that a hired driver who had a dispute with him abandoned the car and left, and instructed his girlfriend to remove the black box storage device from his car, which was at the Yongsan Police Station, in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Accordingly, during the closing arguments held last month, the Prosecution Service sought a four-year prison sentence. Additionally, it was revealed that he had been caught driving with a revoked license on the 8th of last month, just before this trial, sparking public outrage.

Son Seung-won submitted multiple letters of remorse and opinion statements to law enforcement authorities, stating that he had visited a hospital to address his alcohol problem and would definitely quit drinking. However, it is reported that he drove the white BMW he used during the previous drunk driving incident last year to a bar in Hannam-dong, Seoul, and held a drinking session.

This marks the fifth time Son Seung-won has been caught drunk driving. Previously, in 2018, he was prosecuted for drunk driving in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where he collided with a vehicle ahead and fled, and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. At that time, Son Seung-won's license had already been revoked due to three prior drunk driving incidents.

At that time, the court applied the so-called 'Yoon Chang-ho Act' (amended Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and Road Traffic Act), which increased the level of punishment for drivers who caused personal injury through drunk driving. Son Seung-won was caught drunk driving the month after the Yoon Chang-ho Act passed the National Assembly, becoming the first celebrity to be punished under this law, an infamous distinction.

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*This content was translated by AI.