Actor Kwak Do-won apologized to the public and announced his comeback three years after the drunk driving controversy.
Kwak Do-won opened his remarks, saying on the morning of the 19th, "It took a long time to write this. I was afraid, I was very ashamed, and I could not easily say anything in the face of my wrongdoing. First, I would like to once again offer my deep apologies to everyone who was hurt and disappointed because of my wrongdoing."
He continued, "In 2022 I committed the serious wrongdoing of drunk driving. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and disappointed because of that," and reflected, "After that incident I spent countless hours asking myself whether I deserved to stand in front of people. During the past time, in the quiet that fell over the world, I deeply considered how I should live as a person before acting. I have only now realized that everything I had taken for granted was never something to be taken for granted."
He also said, "I watched the works that were released in the meantime and the drama that recently began airing and thought a lot. I am truly sorry that I was unable to apologize earlier and that I missed the timing to express my position," and promised, "Before resuming activities, I will gradually prove through actions the responsible side I have not shown. I will not try to seek forgiveness quickly. I will prove it by my life, not words."
Particularly, interest focused on why Kwak Do-won chose to speak directly after three years. Regarding this, a representative for Kwak Do-won cautiously said, "You may have been surprised by Kwak Do-won's sudden apology, but it was not issued because of a new incident or accident. He had wanted to apologize to the public for some time, but he did not use personal social media like Instagram or Facebook, so he had no channel to convey his feelings. With no channel to apologize, he agonized for a long time, then wrote a difficult, heartfelt message himself and appears to have delivered a statement to the press this time,"
Why did Kwak Do-won choose this particular time to apologize and release a statement? After the drunk driving controversy, the 2024 film "Firefighter" was released, and on the 18th the Tving series "Villains," in which he played the lead, was released. Even though Kwak Do-won's name was excluded during promotion for "Villains," the drunk driving controversy kept being brought up and caused situations that inconvenienced other actors, which is known to have been a burden as well.
Also, having suspended acting activities for more than three years, he most wanted to apologize properly in person before returning, so he directly issued an apology statement to the press.
Whether Kwak Do-won, who said "I will prove it by my life, not words," will appear before the public in a different way going forward remains to be seen.
Earlier, in September 2022 Kwak Do-won was caught by police while driving under the influence. At the time, the Jeju Western Police Station said it had referred Kwak Do-won to prosecutors on charges of drunk driving (violation of the Road Traffic Act). It also referred a man in his 30s who rode with him, A, to prosecutors on charges of aiding drunk driving (aiding drunk driving) after knowing about the drunk driving.
At the time, it was confirmed that at about 4 a.m. Kwak Do-won had left a bar in Geumnung-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju City, and gave a ride in his SUV to his acquaintance A, who had been drinking with him and is in his 30s. After dropping A off nearby, he fell asleep in the car while waiting at a signal on a road in Aewol-eup, and was caught by police after a resident reported that the vehicle driver appeared to have been drinking. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.158%, about twice the license-suspension level (0.08%).
Subsequently, in April 2023 the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office filed a summary indictment against Kwak Do-won, who had been referred to prosecutors on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act, with a fine of 10 million won.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]