Comedian Lee Jin-ho was caught driving under the influence.
Lee Jin-ho's agency, SM C&C, released a statement on the 24th saying, "After confirming with Lee Jin-ho himself, he admitted to driving under the influence early this morning," and added, "He has completed the investigation requested by the local police station at the time of the incident and is currently awaiting disciplinary action."
They continued, "Lee Jin-ho believes this incident is entirely his fault and is deeply reflecting on it without any excuses or justifications. The agency also feels responsible and will ensure that Lee Jin-ho fulfills the disciplinary actions and faces legal consequences." They also expressed, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern once again."
Lee Jin-ho is suspected of driving under the influence for about 100km from Incheon to Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, around 3 AM that day.
The police stated that they apprehended Lee Jin-ho in Yangpyeong after receiving a report that he was driving under the influence in Incheon, following a regional cooperative investigation. At the time of his arrest, it was found that Lee Jin-ho had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.11%, which is at the level for license cancellation. The police measured his blood alcohol concentration through a blood test at his request and are awaiting the results. They plan to continue the investigation after sending Lee Jin-ho home.
Born in 1986, Lee Jin-ho debuted as a comedian in 2005 through SBS's 7th special recruitment and gained great popularity as 'Woong's Father.' He has been active in various segments on tvN's 'Comedy Big League,' including 'Game of Thrones,' '2018 Gungye,' 'Family Entertainment Hall,' 'Gangster PD: Kwak Cheol-yong,' 'The Boss is Crazy,' 'My Business Diary,' and 'Let's Play, Jin-ho.'
He stepped down from JTBC's 'Knowing Bros,' where he was appearing, last October after allegations of illegal gambling surfaced and has been in self-reflection since then.
At that time, Lee Jin-ho confessed through social media, "In 2020, I started playing on an illegal online gambling site by chance and ended up with debts that I couldn't handle," and added, "The financial loss is one thing, but more than anything, I am very sorry to those who trusted me and lent me money."
It has been reported that Lee Jin-ho borrowed up to 1 billion won from several fellow celebrities, including BTS's Jimin and comedian Lee Soo-geun.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
