Once considered one of South Korea’s promising acting talents, actor Son Seung Won has now seen his career overshadowed by repeated legal troubles stemming from drunk driving offences.
On June 11, the Western Seoul District Criminal Court held a sentencing hearing for Son Seung Won, who was accused of violating South Korea’s traffic law, including causing injury and fleeing the scene under laws that impose harsher penalties for specific crimes. The actor, notably, became the first celebrity to face punishment under the so-called “Yoon Chang Ho Act” after he was caught drunk driving for the fifth time.
The court sentenced Son Seung Won to one year in prison and ordered that he be placed in custody immediately after sentencing. The actor was arrested in November last year after driving the wrong way along Seoul’s Gangbyeonbuk-ro for about two minutes while heavily intoxicated. At the time of the crash, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.165 percent, more than double South Korea’s license revocation threshold of 0.08 percent.
Authorities also revealed troubling details about the arrest. Following the accident, Son allegedly lied to police by claiming that a designated driver had abandoned him after an argument, despite no such driver existing. He was also accused of asking his girlfriend to remove the vehicle’s black box recording device in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The actor was formally charged in February, and investigators subsequently collected extensive evidence related to the case. During final hearings last month, prosecutors asked for a four-year prison sentence. Public criticism intensified further on May 8, when reports emerged that Son had once again gone to a drinking gathering despite already having had his driver’s license revoked.
During the course of the investigation, Son Seung Won allegedly sent numerous letters expressing remorse and pledging to seek treatment for alcohol-related problems. He also stated his intention to stop drinking in hopes of preventing future accidents. However, this marked the fifth time he was caught driving while intoxicated.
In 2018, Son was sentenced to one year and six months in prison after crashing into another vehicle in Seoul’s Apgujeong district while drunk and fleeing the scene. At the time his license had already been revoked following three previous drink driving offences.
The court applied the “Yoon Chang Ho Act,” legislation aimed at toughening punishments for drunk driving accidents that result in injury or death. Son Seung Won has become the first celebrity to be punished by law after being arrested just a month after taking office in the National Assembly.
Born in 1990, Son Seung Won was once considered one of the entertainment industry’s most promising rising stars. Originally trained as a musical actor, he gained recognition for his gentle image and natural acting ability, earning praise through television roles that quickly captivated audiences.
Before his career came to an abrupt end, Son appeared in popular productions including Age of Youth, Welcome to Waikiki and Hello, My Twenties!. He also made history as the youngest actor to play the lead role in the iconic musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, while building a respected stage career through productions like The Days and Trace U.
Despite a career once full of promise, Son Seung Won’s repeated legal troubles ultimately ended his rise. His disappearance from the Korean entertainment scene now stands as a warning about how personal choices and legal misconduct can permanently alter even the brightest careers.
Sources: K14
