Actor Lee Jae Ryong under police investigation four days after drunk driving incident

Actor Lee Jae Ryong appeared at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul at 2 p.m. on March 10 for questioning, four days after a drunk driving incident. He is facing charges of driving under the influence and failing to take action after the accident. Although the investigation was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., Lee arrived an hour early and cooperated with authorities.

The questioning lasted approximately four hours. Wearing a black suit, Lee opened his statement by saying, “I am truly sorry for causing concern to so many people due to my wrongful actions.” He continued, “I have told the truth, and I will faithfully follow all legal procedures going forward,” bowing his head toward the press.

Lee admitted to the drunk driving charge. When asked about acknowledging the charge, he replied, “I admitted it immediately a long time ago.” Regarding his reason for fleeing the scene, he remained cautious, stating, “I was not aware at the time. I will explain separately later.”

The incident occurred on March 6 at 11:03 p.m. near Cheongdam Station intersection. Lee crashed into the central divider, striking a guardrail for more than 10 meters before fleeing. He was apprehended about three hours later at a friend’s house.

At the time of his arrest, his blood alcohol concentration was above the legal limit for license suspension (0.03% or higher). Initially, Lee denied the drunk driving charge during the first police questioning but admitted through his lawyer the following day that he had consumed four glasses of soju.

According to footage obtained by Dispatch, Lee took no action after the accident, leaving broken guardrail fragments at the scene. This is not Lee’s first incident related to alcohol. In 2003, he had his license revoked for drunk driving, and in 2019, he damaged a bowling alley sign while under the influence.