[Exclusive]Actor Lee Jae-yong's hit-and-run and "drinking to evade testing" case trial postponed to November 13

*This content was translated by AI.

The first court hearing for actor Lee Jae-yong, who was indicted on charges of causing a hit-and-run accident, has been postponed.

According to StarNews, Lee submitted an application to change the date of his first trial regarding allegations of failing to take action after a traffic accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstructing alcohol testing through his lawyer on the 4th.

In response, Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 10 postponed Lee's first trial on charges of failing to take action after a traffic accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstructing alcohol testing, originally scheduled for October 16, to November 13.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 7 indicted Lee Jae-yong without detention on the 7th on charges of failing to take action after a traffic accident under the Road Traffic Act and obstructing alcohol testing. Although police also applied drunk driving charges when referring the case, it is understood that prosecutors determined Lee's blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving did not exceed the minimum threshold for drunk driving penalties.

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

Lee was arrested by police at a friend's residence 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 admit "I drank four glasses of soju and thought I had only slightly touched the central median." It is also reported that before moving to the friend's house following the accident, Lee attended another drinking session.

Consequently, police determined that Lee attempted a so-called "drinking to evade testing" tactic by consuming more alcohol after fleeing, which would confuse estimates of his blood alcohol level at the time of the accident, and thus referred the case with additional charges of obstructing alcohol testing.

Subsequently, according to an MBC report on the 3rd, the indictment stated 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 severely damaged, requiring approximately 3 million won in repairs, yet Lee took no action at the accident scene.

It was later investigated that about 20 minutes after the accident, around 11:23 p.m., Lee consumed an additional five glasses of premium soju "Hwayo" for about 50 minutes at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong. Prosecutors determined this behavior constituted the so-called "drinking to evade testing" tactic intended to obstruct measurement of his blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident.

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*This content was translated by AI.