A scene of Lee Jae-ryong appearing on YouTube ‘Jjanhan-hyung’

Actor Lee Jae-ryong reversed his position and admitted to drunk driving.

According to police on the 9th, on the afternoon of the 7th Lee said he had drunk four shots of soju before the drunk driving accident occurred. His attorney also stated, “On Saturday afternoon, the day after the accident, he acknowledged the drunk driving and conveyed his position to police. A date for his appearance for questioning has already been coordinated with police.”

Previously, around 11 p.m. on the 6th, while driving under the influence near Cheongdam Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Lee crashed into a median barrier and fled. He then parked the vehicle at his home, went to the house of an acquaintance, and was arrested by police.

At the time, a breath test showed a blood alcohol concentration at the license suspension level; however, Lee claimed he had drunk at the house of an acquaintance and said, “I was not under the influence while driving.” In the end, by acknowledging that he had drunk before the accident, it was established that he drove under the influence.

The Seoul Gangnam Police Station is conducting a pre-booking inquiry (internal investigation) into Lee on suspicion of failure to take measures after an accident under the Road Traffic Act, among other allegations. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency commissioner said at a regular press briefing that morning, “(Lee) will soon comply with the summons.”

Yoo Ho-jeong previously appeared on SBS ‘Dongsangimong’ and exposed issues regarding Lee Jae-ryong and alcohol. Broadcast screen capture

Police plan to estimate the blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident using the ‘Widmark’ formula based on evidence such as the vehicle black box, and intend to trace the movements of Lee through closed-circuit (CC)TV analysis.

Although Lee’s side said, “He is deeply reflecting and remorseful,” it appears difficult to reverse the public chill. Regarding the so-called ‘sul-tagi’ allegation that he drank additional alcohol after the accident to make alcohol testing difficult, they explained, “He only attended an engagement that had been scheduled before the accident,” but credibility has already plunged due to a prior lie.

Moreover, this is already his third drunk driving case, placing him on the ‘three strikes’ list and drawing heavy criticism. Lee received license cancellation and a suspension of indictment in 2003 and 2019, respectively, for drunk driving incidents.

In the aftermath of the incident, the video on the YouTube channel ‘Jjanhan-hyung’ in which he appeared last month and boasted of his drinking capacity has been deleted, and drinking-related stories he shared in past appearances with his wife, actress Yoo Ho-jeong, on SBS programs such as ‘Healing Camp’ and ‘Dongsangimong’ are being spotlighted again, intensifying the backlash.

As a result, concern is growing that the fallout may also affect Yoo Ho-jeong, who returned to the small screen after 11 years. Yoo is currently starring as Han Seong-mi, a health medicine specialist, in the KBS2 weekend drama ‘I Will Prescribe You Love’.