Kwak Do-won, apologizes 3 years after drunk driving controversy… "I didn't want to cause any more trouble"
Actor Kwak Do-won spoke publicly for the first time about three years after the drunk driving controversy, apologized to the public and expressed his intention to return.
In a statement released the morning of the 19th, Kwak Do-won said, "It took a long time to write this. I was very afraid and very ashamed," and bowed his head, saying, "I deeply apologize once again to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by my wrongdoing."
He expressed remorse, saying, "In 2022 I committed the grave mistake of drunk driving," and "after that incident I spent countless moments asking myself whether I deserved to stand before people, and I reflected on how I should live as a person before acting." He added, "I have only now realized that everything I took for granted was never guaranteed."
He also said, "I watched my previously released works and the drama that recently began airing and thought a great deal," and "I sincerely apologize for not apologizing sooner and for missing the right time to express my position." He promised, "From now on I will prove I am responsible through my actions. I will not seek forgiveness quickly. I will show it through my life, not words."
Particularly, attention is focused on why Kwak Do-won issued the apology at this point. Regarding this, a representative for Kwak Do-won said, "It is not that he hurried to take a position because of any new incident or issue," and "he had long wanted to apologize but did not have a direct channel to convey his feelings to the public because he does not use personal social media."
He cautiously explained, "After struggling for a long time to find a way to apologize, he wrote this difficult statement himself and decided to convey his position through the press this time," and "it may feel sudden, but for him it was a matter he had long agonized over."
However, the industry believes his recent activity may also have influenced this statement. After the drunk driving controversy, Kwak Do-won's 2024 film 'Firefighter' was released, and on the 18th the Tving series 'Villains,' in which he played the lead, was released. But even though his name was excluded from publicity for 'Villains,' each time the work was mentioned the drunk driving controversy was repeatedly recalled, creating a situation that placed a burden on other actors as well.
Among insiders there is also an interpretation that "the pressure of not wanting to cause further trouble to those around him and to productions was likely great." They may have judged that delaying an apology would rather produce further wounds and controversies.
Meanwhile, Kwak Do-won was caught driving under the influence in Jeju in September 2022. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was 0.158%, far exceeding the threshold for license cancellation, and the following April he was summarily indicted and fined 10 million won on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act.
After the serious mistake of drunk driving, Kwak Do-won maintained a long silence and three years later bowed his head and offered an apology. As he said, whether he can regain trust through "actions, not words" is drawing the public's attention.
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