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Police apprehend actor Lee Jae-ryong for alleged DUI incident

Published: 07 Mar. 2026, 13:23

Actor Lee Jae-ryong [JOONGANG ILBO]

Actor Lee Jae-ryong, 62, was caught by police after allegedly crashing into a guardrail while driving under the influence (DUI) in southern Seoul and fleeing the scene, police said Saturday.

At around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Lee reportedly collided with a structure on the median strip on the road near Samseong Jungang station on line No. 9 and fled the site.

The Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct is currently investigating the actor on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act, specifically his failure to take mandatory measures after the accident.

Lee was apprehended at his acquaintance’s residence, which he headed to after parking his car in question at his home. Lee’s blood alcohol level was within the license suspension range, which in Korea is between 0.03 and 0.08 percent.

Lee had previously caused DUI accidents in Gangnam District in 2003 and had his driver’s license revoked. In 2019, he was referred to prosecution after damaging a sign of a bowling alley in the Gangnam area while intoxicated. The prosecution did not indict him as he reimbursed the costs of the damage.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]