Actor Song Young Kyu has been sent to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on charges of driving under the influence. He allegedly drove a vehicle for about 5 kilometers while heavily intoxicated.
According to a News1 report on July 25, the Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province referred Song without detention at the end of June for breaking the Road Traffic Act.
The incident happened around 11 p.m. on July 19, when Song reportedly drove from Giheung-gu to Cheoin-gu in Yongin after drinking with friends.
A witness who believed the driver was under the influence alerted authorities. Police found and stopped Song's vehicle and performed a breathalyzer test showing a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08%. This level requires license cancellation under South Korean law.
A police official confirmed the incident but did not provide more details because of the ongoing investigation.
Song Young Kyu, who debuted in 1994 in the children's musical Taoist Meoteol, is well known for his supporting roles in both film and television.
He appeared in the 2019 hit film Extreme Job and more recently in Narco-Saints (Netflix) and Big Bet (Disney+).
Despite this legal issue, Song continues to work on-screen and on stage. He currently stars in ENA's drama The Defects and will be featured in SBS's new drama The Winning Try, which is set to premiere tonight. He is also performing in the play Shakespeare in Love at the Seoul Arts Center through September 14.
