Jeong's agency, Showplay Entertainment, expressed regret over the incident on the 11th, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the unfortunate situation involving Jeong Dong-won." They further explained, "Last year, an acquaintance, referred to as 'A,' took Jeong's phone from his home. A and others illegally accessed Jeong's private photo album, obtaining a video of him driving without a license, and have been using it to blackmail him."
It was recently revealed that Jeong Dong-won is under investigation for allegedly driving a vehicle without a license in a provincial city in 2023. At the time, he was 16 years old, below the legal age to obtain a driver's license.
The agency clarified, "Jeong Dong-won practiced driving for about 10 minutes on a mountain road near his hometown in Hadong, with a passenger recording the session." They added, "The blackmailers used this video as evidence of his unlicensed driving, demanding over 200 million won in hush money."
Jeong Dong-won did not comply with the demands and chose not to pay. Instead, he reported the blackmailers to the police, acknowledging his wrongdoing and preparing to face legal consequences. The blackmailers are currently in custody and undergoing trial.
In a related incident, Jeong Dong-won was also charged with violating traffic laws in 2023 for riding a motorcycle on Seoul's Dongbu Expressway, a road designated for automobiles, and received a suspended indictment.
Reported by Ryu Ye-ji, TenAsia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr