"Five Drunk Driving Offenses"... 'Yoon Changho Act No. 1 Celebrity' Son Seungwon Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison and Taken Into Custody

Driving in the Opposite Direction on Gangbyeonbuk-ro While Intoxicated
Sentenced to One Year in Prison in First Trial
"Seriousness of the Crime Recognized"

Actor Son Seungwon, who was previously sentenced to prison for drunk driving and became known as the so-called "Yoon Changho Act No. 1 Celebrity," has once again been sentenced to one year in prison and taken into custody in court on charges of drunk driving. This is the fifth time Son has been caught drunk driving.

Actor Son Seungwon. Blossom Entertainment

On June 11, Judge Kim Hyungseok, presiding judge of the Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Western District Court, sentenced Son to one year in prison on charges including violation of the Road Traffic Act. Immediately after announcing the prison sentence, the court ordered Son to be taken into custody, citing concerns that he might flee.

Son was accused of driving in the opposite direction on Seoul's Gangbyeonbuk-ro last November while under the influence, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.165%. This figure far exceeds the license revocation standard of 0.08%.

During the trial, it was also revealed that after being apprehended in the act, Son instructed his girlfriend, who was with him at the time, to hide the vehicle’s black box storage device. His girlfriend, Ms. Kim, who was indicted alongside him, was found guilty of evidence concealment, but the court suspended the imposition of a 1.5 million won fine.

The court judged Son’s crime as serious, citing his high blood alcohol concentration and history of prior drunk driving offenses. However, in determining the sentence, the court took into account that Son admitted to his wrongdoing, showed signs of remorse, and that no traffic accident occurred this time.

After the sentence was handed down, Son stated, "I deeply regret and reflect upon my wrongdoing," but pleaded, "My family will suffer the hardship of having to support themselves, so please allow me to prepare for the appeal trial without detention." His request was not accepted.

Previously, prosecutors had sought a four-year prison sentence for Son at the sentencing hearing last month. During the trial, it was also revealed that Son had driven without a license, adding to the controversy.

In 2018, Son was also put on trial for causing an accident and fleeing the scene while driving drunk without a license. At that time, he became the first celebrity to be sentenced under the so-called "Yoon Changho Act" and received a prison sentence of one year and six months.

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