"Five instances of drunk driving detected, poor criminal conduct, first-instance sentence overturned"... Son Seung-won receives stern lesson from the law [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Son Seung-won, who has effectively been expelled from the entertainment industry due to drunk driving charges, has received a stern lesson in the form of an increased sentence.

On the afternoon of the 13th, the First Criminal Division of Seoul Western District Court (Judge Ban Jeong-u (Director)) sentenced Son Seung-won, who was prosecuted on charges including drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, to two years in prison. This overturned the original first-instance ruling that had imposed a one-year sentence and increased the penalty.

Previously, the first-instance court sentenced Son Seung-won to one year in prison and ordered his detention in June. The Prosecution Service appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient, and at the sentencing hearing held last month during the appeal trial, prosecutors sought a four-year prison term for Son Seung-won.

Ahead of the appeal verdict, Son Seung-won stated in his final remarks: "I have accepted all charges in the first-instance trial and am serving my punishment accordingly. Throughout my incarceration, from the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night, I have been filled with regret and self-reproach. During this period of imprisonment, I will take time for repentance and accept my punishment."

The court stated that "driving approximately 7 kilometers while intoxicated and driving against traffic on Gangbyeon Boulevard for about one minute and 30 seconds is an act that created a serious public danger," and added that "prior to this incident, Son Seung-won was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and has been punished three times for similar offenses."

The court further pointed out regarding Son Seung-won's instruction to his girlfriend to hide the vehicle's black box SD card that "his criminal conduct is of poor quality." It then explained the sentencing rationale: "Considering all aspects, including the commission of this crime, we can accept the prosecutor's argument that the first-instance sentence was too lenient."

Previously, in November last year, Son Seung-won was arrested on the spot for driving against traffic on Gangbyeon Boulevard while heavily intoxicated for about two minutes. At that time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.165%, more than double the license revocation threshold of 0.08%, indicating a state of heavy intoxication.

Immediately after the incident, he lied to police by claiming "the substitute driver who got into an argument with me 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. Additionally, it was later revealed that he had taken the wheel while his license was already revoked, sparking public outrage.

This marks Son Seung-won's fifth detection for drunk driving. 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, it was revealed that Son Seung-won's license had already been revoked due to three prior drunk driving incidents, and he even attempted to shift the blame onto his co-passenger, actor Jung Hwi, shocking the public.

In the trial held the following year in 2019, Son Seung-won pleaded for leniency, stating: "As a public figure, I am deeply sorry for causing trouble. During the first and appeal trials, I went back and forth between detention centers and courts, reflecting on my actions and feeling deep shame. I painfully realized the value of family and the gravity of my crimes. This has become a major turning point in my life. I have firmly resolved not to repeat such mistakes and understand the weight of the law." However, the court did not accept his plea and sentenced him to one year and six months in prison.

Son Seung-won's remorse has been endlessly repeating for eight years. The reason his final remarks, which resemble a plea to the court, sound like mere words without genuine reflection is that he continues to commit the same criminal acts now as he did eight years ago. Not only did he engage in drunk driving, but he also drove against traffic; not only did he drive against traffic, but he even attempted to hide evidence. Now, it is time for him to accept the life consequence of an increased sentence and genuinely repent.

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*This content was translated by AI.