Three Strikes, Still Running: 5 Warnings Actor Lee Jae-ryong's Gangnam DUI Hit-and-Run Sends to Korea's Celebrity Drunk Driving Culture and Road Traffic Law
Actor Lee Jae-ryong (62) was apprehended by police in the early hours of March 7 after colliding with a median barrier near Samseong Jungang Station in Gangnam, Seoul, while under the influence of alcohol and fleeing the scene. It is his third alcohol-related incident following cases in 2003 and 2019, with his blood alcohol level confirmed at the license suspension threshold.
🚨 No image available — CCTV footage and police investigation photos released on the day of the incident cannot be directly embedded due to copyright and personal information protection. Detailed information about the accident scene is provided in the body instead.
Actor Lee Jae-ryong (62) has drunk-driven and fled the scene again. Following a license revocation in 2003 and a suspended indictment in 2019, this is his third alcohol-related incident. This time, charges go beyond simple drunk driving to include failure to take action after an accident (hit-and-run).
TL;DR
- Early morning of March 7, collided with a median barrier near Subway Line 9's Samseong Jungang Station in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, and fled the scene
- Parked vehicle at home → was apprehended by police while en route to a friend's home
- Blood alcohol level confirmed at license suspension threshold at the time of arrest
- Charges: Violation of the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving + failure to take action after accident)
- Occurred just two weeks after appearing as a guest on the variety show 'Jjanhanhyeong,' amplifying the controversy
1. The Facts: What Happened
Time and Location of the Accident
Early Saturday morning, March 7, on a road near Subway Line 9's Samseong Jungang Station in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Lee Jae-ryong struck a median barrier with his vehicle.
Escape Route
He left the scene immediately after the collision without taking any action. He returned home, parked his vehicle, then moved to a friend's home, where police tracked him down and made the arrest.
BAC Level
A breathalyzer test conducted at the time of arrest confirmed his blood alcohol concentration was at the license suspension threshold (estimated 0.03%–0.08%). Police are investigating under charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving and failure to take action after an accident).
CCTV Released
Major broadcasters obtained and reported CCTV footage showing the vehicle continuing to drive after crashing into the median barrier.
2. Why It Spread So Quickly
① Third Alcohol-Related Incident
- 2003: Drunk driving accident in Gangnam → refused breathalyzer → license revoked
- 2019: Damaged a bowling alley sign in Gangnam-gu (while intoxicated) → suspended indictment
- 2026: Drunk driving + hit-and-run
With a cumulative record of prior incidents, public outrage over his apparent lack of remorse has erupted.
② Immediately After Appearing on 'Jjanhanhyeong'
The news that he had appeared as a guest on MBC's variety show 'Jjanhanhyeong' just two weeks before the incident amplified the controversy, with demands to delete the relevant episode. Some portals began rapidly removing videos and posts related to Lee Jae-ryong.
③ Backlash Directed at Wife Yoo Ho-jeong
Actress Yoo Ho-jeong (currently making a comeback after 11 years) unexpectedly found herself in the public eye due to her husband's incident. Social media saw a mix of sympathy — "Yoo Ho-jeong is also a victim" — and concern that her comeback activities would be affected.
④ Weekend Pre-Dawn Hit-and-Run in the City Center
The situation itself — a collision with a median barrier followed by fleeing the scene in the heart of Gangnam on a weekend morning — provoked public outrage over citizen safety.
3. Context: Korea's Culture of Leniency Toward Celebrity Drunk Drivers
In Korea, drunk driving by celebrities recurs repeatedly, but punishments have often been light or comebacks have been swift. Although standards were tightened after the 'Yoon Chang-ho Act' took effect in 2018 (license suspension threshold lowered from 0.05% to 0.03%), there are ongoing criticisms that recidivism rates have not declined.
Cases like Lee Jae-ryong's — where the same individual repeats the offense over decades — are identified not as mere 'mistakes' but as a structural problem: a societal and legal failure to treat drunk driving as a serious crime.
4. Outlook: What Happens Next
| Scenario | Likelihood | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Indicted with detention | Moderate | Hit-and-run charge + prior record |
| Indicted without detention | High | BAC at license suspension level |
| Activity suspension | Near certain | Inevitable response from agency and broadcasters |
| Permanent ban | Low | Comeback practices in the domestic entertainment industry |
Legally, the key issue is whether the Road Traffic Act violation and the Act on Aggravated Punishment for Specific Crimes (hit-and-run) will be applied. The severity of punishment depends on whether the BAC exceeds the license revocation threshold (0.08%).
5. Checklist: 5 Structural Problems This Incident Reveals
Reference Links
- Actor Lee Jae-ryong Flees Scene After Drunk Driving Accident — Apprehended (MBC News)
- Lee Jae-ryong DUI Accident CCTV (YouTube)
- Actor Lee Jae-ryong, Drunk Driving Again… Flees Scene (JoongAng Ilbo)
- Police apprehend actor Lee Jae-ryong for alleged DUI incident (Korea JoongAng Daily)
- 'Drunk Driver' Lee Jae-ryong Was a Guest on 'Jjanhanhyeong' Two Weeks Ago (Chosun Ilbo)