Actor Lee Jae-ryong, suspected of "drunk driving hit-and-run and subsequent drinking," admits to "failure to take action after accident" charge but denies "obstructing breathalyzer test" [Star On-Site]

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Talent Lee Jae-ryong (62), who is under suspicion of hit-and-run and so-called "subsequent drinking," admitted to the charge of failure to take action after an accident, but denied the Prosecution Service's claim that he obstructed a breathalyzer test.

Judge Lee Jae-wook, head judge of Criminal Division 10 at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted the first trial on the 13th for Lee Jae-ryong, who was indicted on charges including violation of the Road Traffic Act (failure to take action after an accident).

On this day, Lee Jae-ryong's legal representative stated, "As submitted in our opinion letter, we admit to the charge of failure to take action after the accident, but we deny the part regarding obstructing the breathalyzer test on the grounds that there was no intent to cause difficulty."

The representative added, "The defendant had someone with whom he drank at the time. We will apply to have Mr. Kwon, whose name was briefly recorded in the form of an investigation report, as a witness for our side."

The date for witness examination is scheduled to be held at 4 p.m. on March 24 next year.

Lee Jae-ryong is suspected of driving under the influence around 11:05 p.m. on March 6 near Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7, repeatedly hitting the central divider, and then fleeing the scene.

He was arrested by police at a friend's house around 2 a.m. the following day (March 7). It was reported that his blood alcohol concentration level in the breathalyzer test at the time was at the license suspension level (0.03% to 0.08%).

As investigations revealed that there had been another drinking session before moving to a friend's house after the accident, Lee Jae-ryong also faced suspicion of so-called "subsequent drinking," which involves consuming additional alcohol to make it impossible to determine his blood alcohol level at the time of the accident.

Lee Jae-ryong initially claimed that he had been drinking at a friend's house, but later reversed his statement during the investigation, saying, "I drank four glasses of soju and then drove."

However, the Prosecution Service (at the time) excluded the drunk driving charge on the 5th of this month due to limitations in proof, and sent Lee Jae-ryong to trial without detention on charges of obstructing a breathalyzer test and failure to take action after an accident.

It was reported that, based on estimates of Lee Jae-ryong's blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving using the "Widmark formula," it could not be clearly proven that his level was 0.03% or higher (license suspension level).

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-ryong had his license revoked after causing a drunk driving accident in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in 2003.

In 2019, he also received a deferred prosecution disposition on charges of property damage for destroying a standing sign at a bowling alley in Gangnam while intoxicated.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original