'Room salon assault' responsibility fully accepted... 'Drunk driving' is "unavoidable," says Lee Hyuk-jae [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Comedian Lee Hyuk-jae (53) has drawn public backlash for showing no remorse despite being involved in a drunk driving scandal.

On the 9th, the Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon announced that it had filed a non-detained case against Lee Hyuk-jae on suspicion of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.

Earlier, around 10 p.m. on the 8th, Lee Hyuk-jae was accused of rear-ending an motorcycle rider waiting at a traffic signal on a road in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, injuring 20-something motorcyclist Mr. A. It was reported that Mr. A sustained no serious injuries.

At the time of the accident, Lee Hyuk-jae's blood alcohol concentration was found to be at the license suspension level (between 0.03% and under 0.08%).

Following news reports on drunk driving on the 9th, in a telephone interview with StarNews, Lee Hyuk-jae offered an absurd explanation: "I went to an izakaya about 300 meters from my home because acquaintances told me to come there, and I had one or two shots of bomb liquor. When I said I was going home, the distance was only 300 meters, so I thought, 'Why should I get a ride?' and started driving."

He also explained, "I dropped my handbrake cover while picking it up, and the car rolled slightly, lightly hitting the back of the motorcycle. I thought the car was in auto-hold mode with the brake engaged when I picked up the handbrake cover, but the car moved."

Emphasizing that he reported the accident to the police himself immediately after it occurred, he said, "No one reported this to avoid drunk driving charges. I told the police about my short distance and that I had been drinking, and they conducted a breathalyzer test."

Lee Hyuk-jae stated, "I don't usually drink much, and I've never been caught in a drunk driving crackdown. I only had about two shots of bomb liquor, yet it was detected immediately. The police told me that 0.03% could result in license suspension. It's unavoidable. My mistake."

Despite drunk driving being a serious crime that threatens others' lives, Lee Hyuk-jae consistently downplayed the incident with casual attitudes and excuses. Netizens responded sharply with comments such as "He's a terrible person," "He really does everything," "Most people caught drunk driving use this excuse," "'Unavoidable'? What kind of sophistry is that?", "Drunk drivers are pre-murderers," "Even his excuses are perfect," and "He hasn't learned his lesson."

Lee Hyuk-jae previously caused a scandal in 2010 for assaulting a female staff member at a room salon, which led to his expulsion from the entertainment industry. In 2017, he lost a civil lawsuit filed by his former agency after failing to repay approximately 240 million won borrowed from them.

Subsequently, Lee Hyuk-jae drew attention in March this year when he was selected as one of six judges (including the chairperson) for the People Power Party's regional council proportional representation youth open audition held ahead of the the 3rd local elections.

Notably, at that event, Lee Hyuk-jae also stated regarding past controversies, "I have already taken full responsibility by participating in overseas volunteer activities," which drew frowns from observers.

Additionally, as a conservative-leaning YouTuber, Lee Hyuk-jae made remarks describing President Yoon Suk-yeol Jeon (President)'s 'the 3rd illegal martial law' incident as "not guilty" according to his own values.

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*This content was translated by AI.