According to JTBC’s ‘Newsroom’ on the 14th, Son Seung-won attended his first trial for a DUI accident and hit-and-run (under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes), where prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 4 years.
Son was caught for his fifth DUI last November. After drinking in Apgujeong, he got behind the wheel around 6 AM. While attempting to head toward Pangyo, he mistakenly crossed Seongsu Bridge and entered Gangbyeonbuk-ro, reportedly driving the wrong way for about 2 minutes.
‘Newsroom’ further reported that just a week before the trial, Son was spotted driving to a drinking gathering despite having a revoked license. Despite being the first celebrity punished under the Yoon Chang-ho Act and facing prison for his fifth DUI, he has reportedly shown no signs of remorse.
On December 26, 2018, around 4:20 AM, Son was arrested for hitting another vehicle with a car owned by his father in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and fleeing the scene without taking any action. At the time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.206%, a level that results in license revocation. The victim’s designated driver in his 50s and the car owner in his 20s suffered minor injuries.
Son was exempted from military service and classified as ‘Grade 5 Wartime Labor Service’ as he fell under the category of someone who received a prison sentence of 1 year and 6 months or more.
The Yoon Chang-ho Act was created to honor 22-year-old college student Yoon Chang-ho, who tragically died after being hit by a drunk driver while on leave from the military in September 2018. The act passed the National Assembly in November of that year, and Son Seung-won became the first celebrity punished under the law in December after his fourth DUI.
