Actor Lee Jae-ryong, 62, who is suspected of fleeing after causing a crash while driving after drinking, has been handed over to prosecutors.
The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul said on the 18th that it sent Lee Jae-ryong to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office without detention on charges of drunken driving, failing to take necessary measures after an accident, and obstructing a breath test under the Road Traffic Act.
Lee is suspected of hitting a median strip and fleeing while driving near Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 at around 11 p.m. on the 6th. Right after the crash, Lee attended another drinking gathering and was arrested by police about three hours later at an acquaintance's home.
At first, Lee denied driving under the influence. However, he reportedly reversed his statement the day after his arrest, saying, "I had four shots of soju and drove, and I thought I just slightly grazed the median strip."
Police summoned Lee as a suspect on the 10th and questioned him. Concluding that he attempted the so-called "alcohol-adding method" (drinking more after a drunk-driving crash), police also applied the charge of obstructing a breath test.
By questioning those present, including how the drinking session took place, police are said to have concluded that Lee tried to tamper with his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash to eliminate evidence of drunk driving.
This was not the first time Lee caused a crash after drinking. In 2003, he caused a drunk-driving crash in Gangnam and refused a breath test, leading to the cancellation of his license. In 2019, he was given a suspension of indictment by prosecutors on a property damage charge for toppling and damaging a bowling alley signboard in Gangnam District while intoxicated.