Eru, ‘Drunk driving’, ‘Switching drivers’

Singer and actor Eru, also known as the son of singer Tae Jin-ah, appears in court. He was indicted on charges of drunk driving and agreeing to 'switch drivers' with his passenger. He is tarnishing his own career and the reputation of his father, Tae Jin-ah.

According to a media outlet on the 27th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office's Criminal Division 2 recently indicted Eru without detention on charges of aiding a criminal to escape and violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving).

In September of last year, Eru was investigated by the police on charges of drinking and driving with female professional golfer A at a restaurant in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. At the time of being booked, he denied that “the passenger, Mr. A, drove the car,” and it is known that Mr. A also stated that he was the driver.

However, CCTV footage revealed that Eru, not Mr. A, was in the driver's seat. Accordingly, the police sent Mr. A, who made false statements, to the prosecution on charges of absconding from criminals. The prosecutors agreed with Eru's statement that Mr. A was driving and charged him with aiding and abetting the escape of a criminal by capturing the circumstances surrounding his words.

When the incident first became known, netizens speculated who the passenger was, and professional golfer Yoo Hyun-joo was pointed out. Professional golfer Yoo Hyun-joo clearly stated that it was not her, saying, “I am certain that we will take strong legal action against those who mention real names.” Because of A's false statement with Eru, an unexpected victim was created.

This is not the only time Eru has caused controversy for 'drinking driving'. The first thing that became known to the public was a drunk driving accident in December last year. Iru hit a guardrail on Gangbyeonbuk-ro in the direction of Guri near Dongho Bridge in Seoul. The blood alcohol content was 0.075%, which is the level for license suspension.

At the time, Eru was scheduled to appear in KBS2's daily drama 'Secret Woman', which first aired in March of this year. However, the drunk driving controversy broke out and he had to leave the show. He said, “I am sorry for causing trouble,” and “I will stop all entertainment activities and take time for self-reflection.”

'Secret Woman' faced the difficult situation of replacing the lead actor right before the first filming. In the end, actor Han Ki-woong took his place. Due to Eru's mistake, broadcasting staff and fellow actors suffered damage.

Eru, who debuted as a singer in 2005, benefited greatly from her father, national singer Tae Jin-ah. It became a hot topic from the beginning of its debut, and thanks to this, it was able to quickly gain recognition. However, Eru caused trouble for Tae Jin-ah. This is because his son's negative image cannot have a positive effect on celebrity Tae Jin-ah.

In addition, Eru also tried his hand at acting by appearing in the drama MBC's 'You Are Too Much', KBS2's 'Secret Man', MBC's 'Be Bob', and KBS2's 'A Gentleman and a Lady'. 'Secret Woman', from which he left the show, was Eru's comeback project after a year. While he was establishing himself as an actor, he threw away an opportunity.

What makes Eru even more critical is that he is a habitual drunk driver. He had already been investigated for drunk driving once in September of last year, but three months later he was involved in a drunk driving accident. Even if there was no reflection, there was no awareness of drunk driving. The fans who supported him also disappeared. There is only a way to exit in front of it.

Ten Asia Reporter Kim Seo-yoon seogugu@tenasia.co.kr