'Drunk driving incident' Lee Hyuk-jae: "Had two bomb shots... only 300m away, so I didn't call a taxi. My fault." [Direct Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Comedian Lee Hyuk-jae (53) apologized for the controversy caused by his drunk driving incident, stating it was "my fault." While acknowledging he had consumed alcohol, he emphasized that he reported the incident to the police immediately after the accident and did not attempt to flee or cover it up.

In a telephone interview with StarNews on the 9th, Lee Hyuk-jae stated, "I went to an izakaya about 300 meters from my home because acquaintances asked me to come there, and I had one or two bomb shots." He further explained, "I said I was going home, but since it was only 300 meters away, I thought, 'Why should I call a taxi?' so I started driving."

He said the accident occurred at an intersection near his home. Lee Hyuk-jae stated, "I was waiting at a red light, and since I was in the front row, there was clearly no one ahead of me." He added, "Later, when I checked my dashcam footage, I saw that a delivery motorcyclist had stopped in front of me to make a left turn."

Regarding the circumstances of the accident, he explained, "I dropped my phone and while picking it up, the car slowly rolled forward and lightly hit the back of the motorcycle. I thought the vehicle was in auto-hold mode with the brake engaged, so I picked up my phone, but then the car moved."

Lee Hyuk-jae emphasized that he directly reported the accident to the police immediately afterward. He stated, "I was worried, so I reported it to the police first. No one else reported it to help me evade drunk driving charges. I told the police about my short distance but admitted I had been drinking and underwent a breathalyzer test."

Regarding the results of the alcohol test, he said, "I generally don't drink much and have never been caught for drunk driving before. I had about two bomb shots, and even that amount was detected immediately." He added, "The police told me that 0.03% could result in license suspension. There's nothing I can do. It's my fault."

He also conveyed his apologies to the accident victim, Mr. A. Lee Hyuk-jae stated, "From what I could see with my eyes, it was a very minor accident, and my dashcam recorded it as minor too. I told them at the scene that we would handle it through insurance regardless of whether it involved personal injury or property damage, asked them to contact me, and apologized sincerely." He further added, "The victim also said they would file an insurance claim and seek medical treatment. I told them to let me know if there was any specific direction they wanted to take."

Regarding this incident, Lee Hyuk-jae repeatedly acknowledged his own fault while emphasizing that it was not a major collision accident.

He stated, "This was not an accident involving damage to vehicles or property. I handled the scene properly, but driving under the influence was my mistake. I had briefly stepped out from a gathering with acquaintances and couldn't refuse when others were drinking. I am truly sorry."

He further added, "I did not recklessly flee or attempt to hide. I reported it to the police myself and will cooperate sincerely with the investigation."

Meanwhile, Incheon Yeonsu Police Station announced today that Lee Hyuk-jae was booked without arrest on suspicion of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act. According to police, Lee Hyuk-jae is suspected of rear-ending a motorcycle rider who was waiting at a red light around 10 p.m. on the 8th on a road in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, injuring a 20-something-year-old motorcyclist identified as Mr. A. It has been reported that Mr. A did not suffer serious injuries.

It was understood that Lee Hyuk-jae's blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident was below the license suspension threshold of 0.03% to less than 0.08%, and there were no passengers in the vehicle.

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*This content was translated by AI.