Korean Police Investigates Superstar Soccer Player’s Unlicensed Operation Of An Electric Scooter

A popular ex-Premier Leaguer, Jesse Lingard, faces a possible police investigation in South Korea.

Lingard, an attacking midfielder known for his tenure with Manchester United in the English Premier League before his recent move to FC Seoul, shared a photo of himself operating an electric scooter on the streets of Seoul via his Instagram.

While the photo has since been deleted, Lingard’s action—of riding an electric scooter without a helmet and a driver’s license—was criticized. Amid backlash, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station said they have begun a preliminary investigation.

According to the police, Lingard is suspected of riding an electric scooter without a license in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam District, around 10:20 PM. It is reported that the police began their investigation after seeing related photos posted by Lingard on social media. The police plan to investigate Lingard’s licensing status and whether he was under the influence of alcohol.

In September of 2023, Lingard was caught driving under the influence of alcohol in the UK—reportedly resulting in an 18-month suspension of his driver’s license.

Lingard has since taken to his Instagram to explain that he didn’t know about the applicable law in Korea and advocated for “Safety first.”

I was on an e-scooter yesterday, driving around for a couple minutes…

…Obviously, I didn’t know the rules of wearing a helmet or needing a license. In England, you can just pick up an e-bike or an e-scooter off the street and start riding it…

…Any foreigner or anyone visiting Korea, check the rules because it can be dangerous. Safety first for everyone, helmets on. And obviously, I won’t do it again.

— Jesse Lingard

Read more about the last time Lingard found himself in the spotlight after settling into life in Korea:

Football Star Jesse Lingard Exposed By Korean Instagram Model