Lee Jae-yong suspected of attempting 'drinking after accident'..Drank alcohol again within 20 minutes

*This content was translated by AI.

It was learned that actor Lee Jae-yong attempted the so-called 'drinking after accident' method by consuming additional alcohol after causing a traffic accident in Gangnam last March.

According to an MBC report on the 3rd, the indictment against Lee Jae-yong for failing to take action after a traffic accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstructing alcohol testing stated that around 11:03 p.m. on March 6, he drove a sedan while intoxicated from Cheongdam Station in Gangnam-gu toward Samsung Central Station, colliding with the median barrier.

The indictment also noted that the median barrier was severely damaged, requiring approximately 3 million won in repairs, yet Lee Jae-yong took no action at the accident scene.

Subsequently, it was investigated that about 20 minutes after the accident, around 11:23 p.m., Lee Jae-yong consumed high-end soju 'Hwayo' for about 50 minutes at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong. The Prosecution Service determined that such behavior constituted the so-called 'drinking after accident' method intended to obstruct blood alcohol concentration testing at the time of the accident.

Lee Jae-yong was arrested by police at an acquaintance's home about two hours after the accident. At the time, he denied drinking while driving, but it is reported that his testimony later changed during police investigation to the effect that "he had driven after drinking four glasses of soju and believed he had only slightly touched the median barrier."

Initially, the police determined that Lee Jae-yong attempted to eliminate evidence of drunk driving through additional alcohol consumption and applied charges for drunk driving. However, the Prosecution Service decided it was difficult to clearly prove the blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident and issued a non-prosecution decision regarding the drunk driving charge.

In addition, Lee Jae-yong had his license revoked in 2003 after causing a drunk driving accident in Seoul Gangnam and refusing alcohol testing, and he received a decision to suspend prosecution in 2019 for damaging a bowling alley signboard in Gangnam-gu, Seoul while intoxicated.

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*This content was translated by AI.