Actor Son Seung-won, known as the first celebrity to be subject to the “Yoon Chang-ho Act,” has belatedly been reported as having been sent to trial for his fifth DUI offense.
On the 14th, JTBC reported that last November, Son drove under the influence without a license and drove the wrong way on Gangbyeonbuk-ro, where he was caught by the police. This is reportedly his fifth time being caught for drunk driving.
However, allegations have surfaced that he continued to drive without a license even while awaiting his trial.
JTBC added that his blood alcohol concentration at the time was more than double the license revocation limit (0.08%). Despite submitting a letter of apology and an opinion to the court stating he would seek hospital treatment, he was spotted driving himself in the Hannam-dong area of Seoul on the 8th while still unlicensed.
Son reportedly drove a BMW after visiting a hair salon and then headed to a bar to drink with acquaintances. The vehicle is said to be the same one he used during last year’s DUI incident.
Prosecutors have already requested a four-year prison sentence, and the first trial verdict is scheduled for the 11th of next month.
Back in 2018, Son was indicted for a hit-and-run while driving unlicensed and drunk near Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. He sparked public outrage as the first celebrity to have the “Yoon Chang-ho Act,” which increases penalties for drunk drivers, applied to him.
He debuted in 2009 in the musical “Spring Awakening” and appeared in productions like “Hedwig,” “The Days,” and “Bare the Musical,” as well as dramas “Age of Youth” and “Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho.” However, he has effectively left the entertainment industry due to repeated DUI controversies.
