Police have summoned him as a suspect and are investigating how he caused a drunk-driving crash and fled
He initially denied driving under the influence when detained but the next day admitted he had consumed four glasses of soju
Actor Lee Jae-ryong, 62, appeared at a police station on the 10th after police said he drove in downtown Seoul, struck a median barrier and fled.
Gangnam Police Station summoned Lee that afternoon as a suspect on charges of driving under the influence and failing to remain at the scene. Officers are questioning him about the circumstances of the crash and his subsequent flight.
He had been scheduled for questioning around 3 p.m., but reportedly arrived at the station about an hour earlier to avoid reporters.
On the night of the 6th, at about 11 p.m., Lee was driving near Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 when he struck a central median and fled. Police arrested him roughly three hours later at an acquaintance's home.
When detained, his blood-alcohol level was high enough to trigger a license suspension. He denied drunk driving in the initial interview but, on the 7th—the day after the crash—he changed his account, admitting, "I drank four glasses of soju and drove. I thought I only lightly contacted the median."
He denies allegations that he attempted the so-called "drinking-to-avoid-detection" method—fleeing and consuming additional alcohol to try to alter test results.
Police said they will determine how to proceed with the case based on the investigation conducted that day.
Lee previously had his license revoked after a drunk-driving incident in Gangnam in 2003. In 2019, while intoxicated, he damaged a bowling alley sign in Gangnam; prosecutors issued a charge deferral for property damage.
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