[Exclusive]Suspicions of 'soju drinking' and damage to the central median.. Lee Jae-yong requests postponement of October trial

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Lee Jae-yong, indicted on charges of causing a hit-and-run accident, has requested a postponement of his trial ahead of his first court hearing in October.

According to an investigation by StarNews, Lee submitted an application to change the date of his first court hearing regarding the charges of failure to act after an accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstruction of alcohol testing through his lawyer on the 4th. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 10 is scheduled to hold the first trial for Lee's alleged failure to act after an accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstruction of alcohol testing on October 16.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 7, non-detained Lee Jae-yong on charges of failure to act after an accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstruction of alcohol testing on the 7th. Although the police submitted the case applying charges of drunk driving, it is understood that the Prosecutors' Office determined that Lee's blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving did not exceed the minimum threshold for punishment for drunk driving.

Lee caused an accident by colliding with a central median near Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 around 11 p.m. on March 6, then left the scene before being arrested about three hours later at a friend's home. At that time, Lee's blood alcohol concentration was at the level warranting license suspension.

Lee was arrested by police at a friend's home about two hours after the accident. Although he initially denied drinking while driving, it is reported that during subsequent police investigation, he changed his statement to the effect that "he drank four glasses of soju and thought he had only slightly touched the central median." It is also reported that he attended another drinking session before moving to a friend's house after the accident.

Accordingly, the police determined that Lee attempted to confuse estimates of his alcohol level at the time of the accident by drinking more after fleeing, a tactic known as 'soju drinking,' and submitted the case with charges of obstruction of alcohol testing.

Subsequently, according to an MBC report on the 3rd, the Prosecutors' Office stated in the indictment that Lee drove a sedan while intoxicated around 11:03 p.m. on March 6 from Cheongdam Station in Gangnam-gu toward Samsung Central Station, colliding with the central median.

The indictment also noted that the central median was damaged to the extent of requiring approximately 3 million won in repairs, yet Lee took no action at the accident scene.

Subsequently, it was investigated that Lee drank an additional 50 minutes of premium soju 'Hwayo' at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong around 11:23 p.m., about 20 minutes after the accident occurred. The Prosecutors' Office determined that such behavior corresponds to the so-called 'soju drinking tactic' intended to obstruct measurement of blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident.

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*This content was translated by AI.