Police Refer Actor Lee Jaeryong to Prosecution for Drunk Driving... Admits to 'Sultagi' Allegation

Charged with Obstructing a Breathalyzer Test Under the Road Traffic Act

Actor Lee Jaeryong, who is accused of causing a drunk driving accident and fleeing the scene, has been referred to the prosecution.

Actor Lee Jae-ryong (62), accused of hit-and-run under the suspicion of drunk driving, was investigated and returned home on the 10th at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, four days after the incident. Photo by Yonhap News

The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced on the 18th that Lee was sent to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office without detention on charges of drunk driving, failure to take proper measures after an accident, and obstruction of a breathalyzer test under the Road Traffic Act.

According to the police, at around 11 p.m. on the 6th, Lee is suspected of driving under the influence near Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 in Gangnam District, crashing into a median strip, and then fleeing the scene.

Lee was arrested at an acquaintance's house three hours after the accident and initially denied the allegations. However, the day after his arrest, through his attorney, he admitted to drunk driving, stating that he had consumed about four glasses of soju before the accident. At the time of his arrest, Lee's blood alcohol concentration was reportedly at a level that would result in license suspension.

Police called Lee in for questioning as a suspect on the 10th, and as a result of the investigation, determined that he attempted the so-called "sultagi" method—drinking more alcohol after the accident to interfere with the measurement of his blood alcohol level. Therefore, the charge of obstruction of a breathalyzer test was additionally applied.

Previously, in 2003, Lee had his license revoked after causing a drunk driving accident in Gangnam and refusing a breathalyzer test. In 2019, he was given a suspended indictment for property damage after drunkenly destroying a bowling alley signboard in Gangnam District.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.