Chef Im Seong-keun, who gained popularity after appearing on Netflix's variety show "Culinary Class Wars: chef class war season 2," has been found to have a record of four drunk driving offenses in the past. Im said recently on YouTube that "I drove under the influence three times over 10 years," but the controversy is growing as additional records of legal punishment have come to light. The confession video has since been deleted.
According to a court ruling released by DONG-A ILBO on the 21st, Im Seong-keun was fined 5 million won on Sept. 21, 1999, on a drunk driving charge. At about 8:25 p.m. on Aug. 15, he was caught driving about 3 kilometers from Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, to areas in Seo-gu with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.153%. That significantly exceeded the license revocation threshold at the time (0.1%).
At the time, Im Seong-keun was found to have been driving a motorcycle registered in his wife's name without a license and was detained for 37 days over the case. In addition, he was already on probation at that point. In March 1998, Im had received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 300,000 won fine for violating the Road Traffic Act, and his appeal was dismissed in Apr. 2000.
His drunk driving record continued afterward. Im Seong-keun was fined 2 million won and 3 million won for drunk driving in 2009 and 2017, respectively, and in 2020 he was caught drunk driving in Garibong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, and received a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years, 80 hours of community service, and 40 hours of safe driving lectures.
In sum, Im Seong-keun's drunk driving offenses total four, and with an additional Road Traffic Act violation, his criminal record amounts to five convictions.
Earlier, Im Seong-keun posted a video titled "Food and drinking" on his YouTube channel "ImzzangTV," confessing to drunk driving. In the video, he said, "I deeply apologize to the fans and viewers who have cherished and supported me," and added, "I want to confess the big mistake from the past that remained in a corner of my heart and ask for forgiveness."
He went on to say, "Drunk driving is a wrong that cannot be excused for any reason," adding, "I accepted the legal punishment, and over the past few years I have reflected on myself in repentance." He apologized again, saying, "As I received excessive love recently, I felt it was deceitful to be active while hiding my past wrongdoing."
But questions have been raised about the sincerity of the confession. On the 19th, Ilyo Shinmun reported that, in the course of reporting on Im Seong-keun's drunk driving record, the chef posted the confession video just before publication as a "preemptive strike."
According to Ilyo Shinmun, when the outlet asked Im Seong-keun's side for verification, he told a reporter on the 17th in a phone call, "I will meet you in person on the 20th and explain." However, on the evening of the 18th, a day after the promise, he suddenly posted the drunk driving confession video. Ilyo Shinmun said, "Once reporting began, it appears he tried to block the controversy in advance by borrowing the form of a voluntary apology."
The confession video has now been deleted. However, Im Seong-keun later indirectly stated his position through comments on his social media (SNS), saying, "I am sorry and grateful, and I will not resent any and all criticism," "I did not want to live deceiving many people, so I wanted to tell you even about my past wrongdoing," and "If there are further wrongful acts in the future, I will reveal them exactly as they are."
Im Seong-keun has said he is preparing a second apology broadcast following the "Food and drinking" video. Attention is on what position he will take as additional records of legal punishment have been made public.