'Drunken Defection' Oh Cheong-seong, Drunk Driving in South Korea... 'Variety Show Out'

Defector Soldier from Panmunjom Oh Cheong-seong (26) / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Oh Cheong-seong (26), a soldier who defected at Panmunjom, has recently been handed over to the prosecution on charges of drunk driving, and he will also be leaving the variety show he was appearing on.

TV Chosun stated on the 9th, "All segments featuring Oh Cheong-seong in this week's broadcast of 'Moranbong Club' have been edited out, and he will be edited out in future broadcasts as well."

They added, "Oh Cheong-seong will not appear in any future broadcasts."

Earlier that day, the Geumcheon Police Station in Seoul announced that Oh was sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment on drunk driving charges.

It was reported that Oh was caught driving under the influence on December 15 last year on Siheung-daero in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. At that time, his blood alcohol concentration was confirmed to be at the level warranting license cancellation.

Previously, Oh defected to the South on November 13, 2017, at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom. During his defection, he was shot by North Korean soldiers but underwent surgery and recovered.

At that time, investigations revealed that Oh was heavily intoxicated, having shared about ten bottles of North Korean soju with a friend in Kaesong.

The National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee in 2018 that Oh had come down to the South accidentally.

Meanwhile, 'Moranbong Club' is a program where defectors appear to share their stories of drifting on the Korean Peninsula. Oh had been appearing on this program since May last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.