On the 25th, the Seoul Northern District Prosecutor’s Office Health and Juvenile Crimes Department (Chief Lee Jang-woo) announced that it had suspended the indictment of Jeong Dong-won. Suspension of indictment is a procedure in which a crime is admitted but the investigation is closed without going to trial.
An official from the prosecution explained, "In the case of a violation of the Road Traffic Act, if it is a minor and a first-time offender, prosecution is usually suspended."
Jeong Dong-won is accused of illegally driving a motorcycle near Gunja Bridge in the direction of Seongsu on the Seoul Eastern Arterial Road, an automobile-only road, at 0:16 am on March 23.
According to the Road Traffic Act, if a two-wheeled vehicle other than a car passes on a highway or an automobile-only road, it is punished with a 'fine of 300,000 won or less or detention'.
At the time, it was known that Jeong Dong-won was caught driving a motorcycle for the first time after obtaining a motor driver's license. He told the police, "I followed the navigation system and did not know that riding a motorcycle was prohibited."
Initially, it was predicted that as a minor and a first-time offender, he would go through the Juvenile Guidance Review Committee and receive a court order or an immediate judgment, but Jeong Dong-won requested that he be sent to the prosecution and was handed over to the prosecution.
Reporter Ryu Ye-ji and Ten Asia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr