Actor Lee Jae-ryong Faces Charges for Drunk Driving and 'Alcohol Topping' Incident

Actor Lee Jae-ryong (62) has been handed over to the prosecution on charges of drunk driving. He is also facing allegations of 'alcohol topping.'

According to the police on the 18th, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul has forwarded Lee Jae-ryong to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving, failure to take action after an accident, and obstruction of alcohol measurement).

Lee is accused of driving his car under the influence and hitting a central divider near Cheongdam Station in Gangnam, Seoul, around 11 PM on the 6th, then fleeing the scene.

The police apprehended Lee at a friend's house around 2 AM the following day, where his blood alcohol level was reportedly at a license suspension level.

During his first police interrogation as a suspect four days later, Lee admitted to the drunk driving charge, stating, "I acknowledged it right away a long time ago." However, he claimed to have consumed only four shots of soju at the last of three gatherings before the accident.

Despite this, evidence emerged that Lee attended another drinking session after the accident. After parking his car at his Cheongdam residence, he reportedly joined a gathering at a nearby restaurant, ordering a bottle of distilled liquor and two servings of beef skirt steak.

The police suspect that Lee attempted 'alcohol topping' at this gathering, adding charges of obstructing alcohol measurement. They believe he drank more after fleeing to confuse the alcohol level measurement at the time of the accident.

Lee Jae-ryong was also sent to the prosecution in 2019 for property damage after destroying a bowling alley sign while intoxicated. In 2003, he was booked and had his license revoked for refusing an alcohol test after a drunk driving accident near Cheongdam Intersection in Gangnam, Seoul.

Reporter Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia bella@tenasia.co.kr