Drunk driving cases involving celebrities continue in Korea, with 2 booked in 2 days
Summary
Two Korean celebrities were booked for suspected drunk driving on consecutive days in Seoul and Incheon. Comedian Lee Hyuk-jae was booked without detention after his car hit a motorcycle in Incheon on Tuesday night, while Nancy Lang was booked in Seoul a day earlier. Both said they had consumed only one or two alcoholic drinks before driving.
Key Facts
- Lee Hyuk-jae’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at between 0.03 percent and 0.08 percent, a level subject to driver’s license suspension in Korea.
- The Yeonsu Police Station said Lee was allegedly driving at around 10 p.m. in Songdo when his vehicle struck a motorcycle waiting at a traffic light.
- Nancy Lang was suspected of driving under the influence in the Gangnam area at around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, and some reports said her blood alcohol concentration was high enough to warrant license revocation.
Lee Hyuk-jae, left, and Nancy Lang / Xportsnews
Two Korean celebrities have been booked for suspected drunk driving on consecutive days, with both saying they had consumed only one or two alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel.
Comedian Lee Hyuk-jae was booked without detention on suspicion of drunk driving after his car hit a motorcycle in Incheon on Tuesday night, Yonhap News reported on Wednesday.
The Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon said Lee was allegedly driving under the influence at around 10 p.m. in Songdo when his vehicle struck a motorcycle that was waiting at a traffic light.
A breathalyzer test showed Lee's blood alcohol concentration was between 0.03 percent and 0.08 percent, a level subject to driver's license suspension in Korea.
Lee told Xportsnews that he had consumed one or two alcoholic drinks while having dinner with acquaintances at a restaurant near his home before driving.
He said the accident occurred as he bent down to pick up his phone after dropping it inside the car.
"There was no motorcycle in front of me before I reached for my phone, but it seems a delivery motorcycle pulled in front of my car while I briefly bent down," Lee said.
He said he called police himself immediately after the accident, reported it to his insurance company and would cooperate with the investigation.
Nancy Lang, left, and Lee Hyuk-jae / Xportsnews
The case came just a day after Korean American pop artist and TV personality Nancy Lang was booked on suspicion of drunk driving in Seoul.
The Gangnam Police Station said Lang was suspected of driving under the influence in the Gangnam area at around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Some reports said her blood alcohol concentration was high enough to warrant license revocation. Her agency, however, told Xportsnews that "she was not heavily intoxicated," saying parts of the reports were inaccurate.
Lang was said to have consumed about one or two glasses of champagne while drinking with an acquaintance before driving.
The back-to-back cases have once again put the issue of drunk driving among Korean celebrities in the spotlight.
Lee debuted as a comedian through MBC's open recruitment program in 1990, while Lang has worked as a pop artist and TV personality.
This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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