Actor Lee Jae-ryong on trial for hit-and-run and alleged post‑crash drinking

South Korean actor Lee Jae-ryong, 62, has been charged without detention for hit‑and‑run and obstruction of an alcohol test after a March 6 incident in Seoul’s Gangnam district near Cheongdam Station. He allegedly struck a central median, left the scene, then attended another drinking gathering before being detained about three hours later at a friend’s residence.

Prosecutors filed charges of road‑traffic law violations for leaving the accident site and for attempting to impede a sobriety test, but they declined to pursue a DUI charge. Using the Widmark formula, they could not conclusively prove his blood‑alcohol level exceeded the legal 0.03% threshold. The law under which he is charged was introduced in 2024 following a high‑profile drunk‑driving case involving singer Kim Ho‑jung.