'Soot-eating' allegations against Lee Jae-yong, followed by Nancy Rang and Lee Hyuk-jae: A string of drunk driving controversies in the entertainment industry [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Drunk driving controversies are continuing to emerge from the entertainment industry, including actor Lee Jae-yong, broadcaster Nancy Rang, and comedian Lee Hyuk-jae.

First, Lee Jae-yong is facing allegations of failing to take action after an accident and obstructing a drunk driving test under the Road Traffic Act. According to an MBC report on the 3rd, Lee was driving a sedan while intoxicated around 11:03 p.m. last month from Cheongdam Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, heading toward Samsung Central Station, when he collided with a central median barrier.

The accident damaged the central median barrier, resulting in repair costs of approximately 3 million won, but Lee is reported to have left the scene without taking any special measures.

Notably, it was revealed that about 20 minutes after the accident, around 11:23 p.m., Lee consumed an additional five glasses of soju over a period of about 50 minutes at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong. At the time, he denied drinking alcohol while driving, but later during police investigation, it was reported that he retracted his statement, admitting to having driven after consuming four glasses of soju and believing he had only slightly touched the central median barrier.

Police determined that Lee attempted to eliminate evidence of drunk driving using the so-called "soot-eating" method and thus applied charges for drunk driving. However, the Prosecution Service concluded that blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident was not clearly proven and decided not to prosecute on that charge.

Lee Jae-yong was brought to trial on charges of failing to act after an accident and obstructing a drunk driving test. This is not his first drunk driving incident. Lee had previously been involved in a drunk driving accident in 2003, during which he refused a breathalyzer test and had his license revoked.

Along with Lee Jae-yong, comedian Lee Jin-ho, broadcaster Nancy Rang, and Lee Hyuk-jae have also caused scandals due to drunk driving, leading to a continuous string of drunk driving controversies in the entertainment industry.

Lee Jin-ho is suspected of drunk driving approximately 70 kilometers from Incheon to his residence in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, while under investigation for gambling charges last year. At the time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.12%, a level warranting license revocation. Facing trial on charges of habitual gambling and drunk driving, he received a final verdict of suspended prison sentence on the 9th.

Next, on the 8th, news broke that Nancy Rang had been formally charged with drunk driving. According to MBN, she is suspected of driving a vehicle while intoxicated in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 3:45 a.m. that day. Her blood alcohol concentration was confirmed to be at or above 0.08%, a level warranting license revocation.

Regarding this matter, Nancy told Star News, "There are parts of the currently reported content that differ from the facts. There is no truth to being detained or formally charged." She added, "I also believe it was an imprudent decision on my part to get behind the wheel after having one or two glasses of champagne at a friend's birthday gathering yesterday (7th), given that my home was nearby. Terms such as 'heavily intoxicated,' 'arrested,' 'formally charged,' and 'taken to the police station' do not reflect the actual situation."

MegaTon Entertainment, her agency, also explained, "She underwent a breathalyzer test almost upon arriving home," adding, "She had one or two glasses of champagne. It was not a state of heavy intoxication nor at the level warranting license revocation."

Police plan to summon Nancy Rang in the future to investigate the exact facts.

The news of drunk driving was reported again the following day, on the 9th. The Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon announced that Lee Hyuk-jae had been formally charged without arrest for violating the Road Traffic Act due to drunk driving. According to police, Lee is suspected of rear-ending a motorcycle rider who was waiting at a traffic signal on a road in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, around 10 p.m. on the 8th, injuring a 20-something motorcycle driver, Mr. A. It was reported that Mr. A was not seriously injured.

At the time of the accident, Lee Hyuk-jae's blood alcohol concentration was determined to be between 0.03% and less than 0.08%, a level corresponding to license suspension.

In a telephone interview with Star News, Lee Hyuk-jae said, "Friends invited me to an izakaya about 300 meters from my home, so I went there and had one or two shots of bomb liquor." He continued, "Since the distance was only 300 meters, I thought, 'Why should I call a substitute?' and started driving. While picking up my dropped phone, the car rolled slightly and lightly hit the back of the motorcycle."

He added, "I was worried, so I reported it to the police first. No one tried to evade drunk driving charges by making a report." He concluded, "It is my fault. I will cooperate diligently with the investigation. I am sorry."

As these successive drunk driving controversies have erupted, renewed awareness across the entertainment industry is once again being called for.

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*This content was translated by AI.