5+ Female K-Celebrities Who Left The Entertainment Business After Drunk Driving
In South Korean culture, drinking is common. But driving under the influence (DUI) is, as in most societies, a serious crime—and a DUI record for celebrities can be career-ending. Here are 5+ Korean female celebrities who were caught drunk driving and have been more or less shunned from the entertainment business after the criminal charge.
Former INSTAR Member DJ Yesong
In February 2024, former INSTAR member turned DJ Yesong was involved in a collision that took the life of a 50-year-old deliveryman. The deliveryman was transported to the hospital after the accident but pronounced dead.
The crash is said to have occurred at 4:30 AM in the Nonhyeon-Dong neighborhood of Gangnam, Seoul. According to witnesses, the DJ failed to call first responders immediately after the accident and instead sat with her dog.
Investigations revealed that this was not an isolated incident but part of a series of reckless actions. According to the police, DJ Yesong first crossed the center line and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. She then fled the scene without taking any action, making the first collision a hit-and-run. About 10 minutes later, she crashed into the deliveryman on a motorcycle. She continued to drive for approximately 100 meters before finally stopping.
Public outcry was immense, with the prosecution receiving over 1,500 petitions from the victim’s family and the Rider’s Union, to which the deceased deliveryman belonged, calling for stringent punishment.
Infamous Former Idol Killed Delivery Driver In DUI Accident While Fleeing From Another Hit-And-Run
In July 2024, it was reported that prosecutors first aimed for a 15-year sentence but the Seoul’s Central District Court handed down a 10-year sentence. DJ Yesong is currently appealing the court’s decision. Her career, though, is assumed over—at least in the Korean entertainment business. DJ Yesong’s Instagram was hacked and deleted.
Actress Jin Ye Sol
In June 2023, actress Jin Ye Sol was taken in for investigation at the Gangdong Police Station on charges of drunk driving.
The actress had reportedly hit the guardrail twice while driving on a highway. A witness reported Jin Ye Sol as a suspect after seeing her car crash. Within 30 minutes, the police caught Jin Ye Sol—asleep at the wheel while waiting for a signal in a three-way intersection in Godeok-dong.
Actress Jin Ye Sol Issues Apology For Driving Under The Influence
No additional information has been released since regarding the conclusion of her investigation. Without any work lined up, the actress is assumed to be laying low, “reflecting” on her actions as she stated in her apology. Jin Ye Sol is active on Instagram, though her account is private.
Actress Kim Sae Ron
In May 2022, actress Kim Sae Ron went under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a car accident.
Exclusive news reports from Korea revealed that the actress was caught drunk driving after multiple calls were made to the police about “a car swerving on the road.” Kim was caught around 8 AM in the Hakdong neighborhood of Gangnam after hitting a transformer box and attempting to flee the scene. Police wanted to conduct a breathalyzer test on her, but she requested a blood test to be done at the hospital.
Due to the crash, electricity to 57 nearby stores and homes was cut off for roughly three hours. In April 2023, Seoul Central District Court ruled that because she confessed to the crime and attempted to compensate for the damage, she would be sentenced to a fine of ₩20.0 million KRW (about $15,200 USD at the time).
After the court ruling, Kim continued to be controversial with her social media activities. Her last attempt to return to the business was in April 2024, when she teased a comeback with theatrical work—but it was called off when she withdrew citing health issues. Kim Sae Ron is active on Instagram.
After School’s Lizzy
In May 2021, After School and Orange Caramel‘s Lizzy (also known as Park Soo Ah) was involved in a drunk driving case. Her DUI case resulted in an accident, though there were no casualties.
The accident occurred around 10 PM KST on May 18, 2021. Lizzy had been driving drunk, and she crashed into a taxi that was ahead of her. It was reported that, after running some tests, the police deemed that her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level was high enough to warrant a revocation of her driver’s license. Lizzy stood trial in October of the same year and was fined ₩15.0 million KRW (about $11,100 USD at the time).
After School And Orange Caramel’s Lizzy Taken In For Drunk Driving
Previously Lizzy had switched her career path from K-Pop idol to actress, but she has not been active since her last tvN K-Drama in 2020. Lizzy is active on Instagram.
Actress Park Si Yeon
In January 2021, actress Park Si Yeon was investigated after getting caught driving drunk and crashing into another vehicle that was stopped at a traffic light. The accident left the driver and the two other passengers with minor injuries.
By May, Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the actress to a ₩12 million KRW (about $10,696.19 USD at the time) fine on the charges of violating the Special Traffic Accident Act and Road Traffic Act. It was also revealed this was the actress’s second DUI offense as she was fined ₩2.5 million KRW (about $2,229.41 USD at the time) back in 2006.
Actress Park Si Yeon Fined Ten Thousand Dollars For Recent DUI Offense
Combined with her propofol abuse record from 2013, it seemed impossible for Park to return to the entertainment business. In August 2023, though, she was cast for the role of a taxi driver in a K-Movie called Abyss. The movie was reported to have begun shooting for a May 2024 premiere, but it is yet to be released. Park Si Yeon is active on Instagram.
Clazziquai’s Horan
In September 2016, Clazziquai’s Horan was taken in for investigation by the Gangnam Police Traffic Department after an incident at Seongsu Bridge at 6 AM KST. According to the initial Korean news reports, the singer crashed into a garbage truck while drunk driving to her radio show, injuring a sanitation worker.
Then, it was belatedly revealed that she had been convicted of two more DUI incidents in 2004 and 2007. Years later, in 2023, Horan and MBC‘s King of Mask Singer faced intense backlash after she became the 197th winner of the show. Her performances were since removed from MBC’s YouTube and other streaming platforms. Following, KBS also removed her soundtrack for the channel’s K-Drama, Oasis, from the database and stated it would not be used in the subsequent episodes.
MBC Is Under Fire After Three-Time DUI Convict Wins “King Of Mask Singer”
Horan has not been active since King of Mask Singer and most of her social media platforms, like Instagram, X, and even YouTube and Twitch, remain on a perpetual hiatus.
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