Fourth DUI Offense... Actor Chae Min-seo's Probation Confirmed

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Actor Chae Minseo (40, real name Jo Sujin), who caused a traffic accident while driving the wrong way on a one-way street under the influence of alcohol, has had a suspended prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court.

On the 14th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Ahn Cheolsang) announced that it upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing Chae, who was indicted for violating the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling and the Road Traffic Act, to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.

Chae was prosecuted for driving the wrong way on a one-kilometer section of a one-way street in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 6 a.m. on March 26, 2019, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.063% (license suspension level), hitting a stationary passenger car and causing injuries requiring two weeks of treatment to the driver of that vehicle.

The first trial court found Chae guilty of both drunk driving and injury under the Traffic Accident Handling Act, sentencing him to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.

The second trial court acquitted Chae of the injury charge, stating, "It was not sufficiently proven that the victim driver was injured." The court reasoned that although the victim driver did not have any particular pain, he received a medical certificate from a Korean medicine doctor stating that two weeks of treatment was necessary due to "stiffness in the lower back."

Additionally, the court noted, "The defendant is reflecting on his crime," and "Considering that it was 'driving with a hangover' and the blood alcohol concentration was not very high at the time." However, taking into account Chae's three prior drunk driving convictions, the court maintained the same sentence as the first trial.

The Supreme Court also agreed with this judgment. The bench dismissed the appeal, stating, "The lower court did not err in its legal interpretation regarding the establishment of the offense of injury under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling."

Chae debuted in 2002 with the film 'Champion' and appeared in movies such as 'Don't Tell Papa' (2004), 'Wig' (2005), and 'The Vegetarian' (2009). He also acted in dramas including 'Age of Warriors' (2003), 'War of Money' (2007), 'I Don't Know Women' (2010), and 'Babel' (2019).

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