We see them on TV. They are handsome, witty and talented. But just like us, they're humans and humans naturally make mistakes. Recently Kang In of Super Junior was slammed by Netizens for his involvement in a bar brawl, but the truth is that many celebrities' crimes have received less media coverage than it would have. Let's talk about some of the bigger "mistakes" made by Korean celebrities that seem to have been forgotten in time.
Actor and singer Ryu Si Won was nicknamed "Ryucifer" (Ryu+Lucifer) because he killed a person back in 1995; he accidentally knocked down a pedestrian while he was driving his Le Mans late at night. He was investigated but did not get charged against any crimes as he made a settlement with the victim's family, but the tag of a murderer still follows him. Ryu is an amateur car racer and still enjoys his hobby to this date, which only fuels people's accusations against him.
Actor and comedian Jo Hyung Ki who frequents variety shows these days with his image as a funny old man is known as "Killer Jo" because of the crime he committed back in 1991. He killed a woman in her 30s while driving under the influence of alcohol. What makes his case much more serious than it already is, is the fact that he took the dead body and dumped it somewhere else in an attempt to conceal his crime - ironically, he was caught red handed because he fell asleep in the car right beside where he hid the body. He served one year before being released, and his case is one of the landmark cases that law students come across in their studies as a drunk driving murderer being released after one year which remains highly controversial till this day. He began appearing in dramas right after he was released.
Actor and singer Lee Hyun Woo gained notoriety as "Grand Hyun Woo" (as in he achieved the Grand Slam of crimes) for various controversies he was involved in - drug use, drunk driving without a license, draft dodging, and to top it all off, appearing in a commercial for a loan sharking company (which is seen as a morally questionable act to Koreans). Thanks to his affluent background, he was not held back with his career and continues to frequent the screens to this date. Soon after being arrested with drunk driving without a license, he was selected as model for Hyundai's new minivan.
Numerous actors and models have gotten arrested for drug use earlier this year. The most notable one was Joo Ji Hoon, who famously told the judge "if you forgive me, I will join the army" - this comment angered the public as military service is a duty for all Korean males and he made it sound as if he was going to serve in the army just to improve his image. Many celebrities have been arrested for drug use in the past, including singer Lee Seung Chul, comedian Shin Dong Yup, singer Psy, and ex-Coyote Kim Koo who have all been charged for use of marijuana.
The Korean entertainment industry has been plagued with numerous incidents this year. Let's hope that our favorite entertainers learn from the mistakes of their seniors and not get themselves into handcuffs.
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