Actor Son Seung-won, who already has four prior drunk driving offenses, has been arrested and stood trial once again for driving under the influence.
According to a JTBC report on the 14th, Son appeared in court on charges of hit-and-run under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes related to a drunk driving accident that occurred last year.
Adding to the shock, it was revealed that Son drove a vehicle without a license on the 8th, just six days before his first hearing.
Reports state that last November, Son drove after drinking in the Apgujeong area of Seoul. He was later caught by police driving the wrong way on Gangbyeonbuk-ro after crossing a Han River bridge while heavily intoxicated. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.165%, significantly exceeding the limit for license revocation.
During the initial police investigation, Son reportedly claimed that he had a dispute with a designated driver who then left the car behind. However, evidence surfaced showing he sent a message to his girlfriend asking her to retrieve the dashcam storage device from the police station.
Investigations revealed that his girlfriend did indeed take the storage device from the vehicle held at the police station. This action was captured on police CCTV, and the device was reportedly submitted to the police about four hours later.
Although Son pleaded for leniency during the trial, the prosecution sought a four-year prison sentence given the severity of the crime.
Previously, in 2018, he was indicted and detained for hitting a taxi and fleeing while intoxicated in the Gangnam area of Seoul, with a BAC of 0.21%. Even after his license was revoked, he continued to drive drunk without a license. In December of the same year, he was caught driving his father’s car with a BAC of 0.206%, colliding with another vehicle and leaving the scene.
Son is known as the first celebrity to be punished under the so-called “Yoon Chang-ho Act,” which strengthened penalties for drunk driving. He was sentenced to one year and six months in prison in the first trial, a ruling that was upheld on appeal.
Son debuted in 2009 through the musical Spring Awakening and appeared in various productions including Hedwig and The Days. He also starred in dramas such as Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho and Age of Youth, but he has been effectively ousted from the entertainment industry due to his repeated drunk driving offenses.
