Actor Lee Jae-ryong denies obstructing alcohol measurement at first trial

Actor Lee Jae-ryong appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on the 13th for his first hearing regarding a hit-and-run and alleged obstruction of a breathalyzer test following a March 6 accident in Gangnam-gu. While Lee admitted the accident occurred, he denied intending to make alcohol measurement difficult, despite police suspecting he drank more at a restaurant after hitting a median strip.

Actor Lee Jae-ryong appeared in court facing charges of failing to take measures after an accident and obstructing a breathalyzer test. While admitting that the accident occurred, he denied the core allegations, claiming he had no intention of making the alcohol measurement difficult. Public attention is focused on this trial as his past history of a drunk driving accident and property damage while intoxicated has been brought back into the spotlight.

On the 13th, Presiding Judge Lee Jae-uk of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 10 conducted the first public hearing for Lee Jae-ryong, who was indicted for violating the Road Traffic Act. The trial, originally scheduled for October 16, had been postponed following an application for a change of trial date by Lee's side. Lee appeared in person for the first hearing, where the defendant's attendance is a principle.

Lee appeared at the court wearing a black suit with a white shirt, his face covered by a black mask and horn-rimmed glasses. He entered the courtroom with his head bowed under the intense gaze of the press. During the trial, Lee's side contested the relevant charges, arguing that while they admit the accident happened, "there was no purpose to make the alcohol measurement difficult."

The incident occurred around 11:00 p.m. on March 6 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Lee is accused of driving a passenger vehicle while intoxicated, hitting a median strip, and leaving the scene. Police apprehended Lee at an acquaintance's house around 2:00 a.m. on the 7th, the day after the accident, and it was reported that his blood alcohol concentration at that time was at a level that would result in a license suspension.

His actions following the accident are also at the center of the controversy. Investigations revealed that after causing the accident, Lee moved to a nearby restaurant for further drinking. Police, suspecting he may have attempted "sul-tagi" (a tactic to obstruct alcohol measurement by drinking more alcohol), transferred the case with charges of obstructing alcohol measurement and failing to take measures after an accident. Although the investigation included drunk driving charges, the prosecution did not apply them, determining that the blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving did not meet the threshold for drunk driving punishment.

Changes in Lee's statements are also expected to be a point of contention in the trial. During the initial police investigation, he claimed he had not consumed alcohol while driving, but later changed his statement to say he had consumed four shots of soju before the accident. However, he maintained the position that he was unaware of the accident when he left the scene. Regarding the act of drinking more at an acquaintance's house after the accident, he has explained that he had no intention of obstructing the alcohol measurement.

This case is moving beyond a simple traffic accident into a legal judgment regarding the responsibility for actions taken immediately after the accident and the alcohol measurement process. Since admitting to the accident is a separate matter from admitting to the duty to take post-accident measures and the obstruction of alcohol measurement, the main issue in future trials will likely be what legal responsibility can be assigned to Lee's actions and the circumstances at the time.

Lee has faced controversies related to alcohol in the past. He has a record of having his driver's license revoked due to a drunk driving accident in 2003, and in 2019, he received a suspension of indictment for charges of damaging a bowling alley signboard while intoxicated. As his repeated history of alcohol-related incidents coincides with this trial, the pressure from public opinion surrounding Lee is increasing.

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