[Breaking News] Actor Son Seung-won, arrested for drunk driving five times, sentenced to two years in prison on appeal; first-instance one-year sentence overturned [Star Scene]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Son Seung-won, who was sentenced to one year in prison at the first instance for drunk driving, had his original verdict overturned on appeal and was instead sentenced to two years in prison.

On the 13th, Seoul Western District Court's First Criminal Division (Appeal) (Na) held a sentencing hearing for Son Seung-won's appeal against charges including violation of the Road Traffic Act (causing injury while fleeing under the Special Aggravated Punishment Act).

Previously, during the closing arguments, the Prosecution Service sought a four-year prison sentence for Son Seung-won, and the first-instance court sentenced him to one year last month. The Prosecution Service then appealed, arguing that the sentencing was inappropriate, and again requested a four-year prison term for Son Seung-won, consistent with the first instance.

On this day, the judge stated to Son Seung-won: "The defendant has shown remorse for his crime, albeit belatedly. However, in this case, he was arrested while his blood alcohol concentration was 0.165%, exceeding the threshold for license revocation, and instructed his girlfriend to submit the black box SD card, indicating poor repentance."

He continued: "The defendant also made false statements claiming that a designated driver fled after an argument with him. He also drove against traffic on Gangbyeon Boulevard while heavily intoxicated. Having already been punished three times for similar offenses, he is now being punished again for this incident."

The judge declared: "We accept the prosecutor's appeal. The original verdict is overturned, and the defendant is sentenced to two years in prison."

Son Seung-won was arrested on the spot last November after driving against traffic on Gangbyeon Boulevard for about two minutes while heavily intoxicated and was brought to trial in February this year. At that time, his blood alcohol concentration was reported to be 0.165%, more than double the license revocation threshold of 0.08%. Immediately after the incident, he falsely told police that a designated driver had abandoned the vehicle and instructed his girlfriend to remove the black box storage device, among other attempts to destroy evidence.

This marks Son Seung-won's fifth time being caught for 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, receiving a one-year-and-six-month prison sentence. At that time, his license had already been revoked three times due to prior drunk driving offenses. Consequently, Son Seung-won became the first entertainer to be punished under the so-called "Yoon Chang-ho Law" (amended Special Aggravated Punishment Act and Road Traffic Act).

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*This content was translated by AI.