Comedian Lee Kyung-kyu has been booked on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act, while the issue of whether he was in a 'driving capable state' due to drug components has emerged as a key point.
According to a report by MBN on the 24th, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul is currently conducting a summons investigation into Lee Kyung-kyu on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act. This has escalated from a simple incident to a criminal investigation.
The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. on the 8th. Lee Kyung-kyu drove a vehicle of the same model as his own imported car from a golf practice range in Gangnam, Seoul. This was due to a mix-up in vehicle handover by the parking management staff, and it is reported that Lee Kyung-kyu returned after noticing that his belongings were not in the vehicle.
However, the owner of the vehicle reported a suspicion of vehicle theft, and the police dispatched to the scene conducted alcohol and drug tests. During this process, a 'positive' drug response was detected, leading to a full-scale investigation. In response, Lee Kyung-kyu explained during the police investigation that "the medication for his anxiety disorder and cold medicine affected him." It is noted that he indeed received a prescription for cold and body ache medicine from a pharmacy within the golf practice range, and the psychiatric medication he has been taking for over 10 years likely influenced the results of the drug test.
However, the police are speeding up the investigation, stating, "Even if a medication is prescribed normally, if it could impair driving, it could be classified as drug driving under the Road Traffic Act."
Current road traffic laws clearly prohibit driving under conditions that impair normal driving ability, which includes not only alcohol but also 'reduced cognitive ability' or 'impaired physical coordination' due to the use of medicines or other substances. In other words, even if the medication is prescribed by a doctor, legal penalties are possible if it affects driving.
Earlier, on the 16th, Acting Commissioner Park Hyun-soo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated at a press conference, "Currently, Mr. Lee Kyung-kyu is in the pre-booking investigation phase, and we have requested a drug analysis from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation." The police plan to thoroughly review the concentration and types of drugs that could actually affect driving based on the analysis results.
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