Actor Ahn Jae Wook is back in the news after comments he made about drinking alcohol brought attention to his two past convictions for driving under the influence.
The controversy started after he appeared on comedian Shin Dong Yup's YouTube show "Zzanbros," where he drank with other guests and talked openly. Ahn discussed his relationship with alcohol in what appeared to be a casual manner but some viewers took issue with this and it sparked a bit of a stir on various online forums.
Ahn talked about drinking habits during the show. He said, "You can't become a wreck just because you drink a lot."
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When asked about his experiences with alcohol, he said, "I black out often."
He went on to explain his point of view on drinking more. He said, "Alcohol helps people socialize and laugh together. When I'm upset or going through a hard time, I try not to drink. In those moments, I'd rather stay home. I prefer drinking gatherings where we're laughing."
The episode quickly spread online, where people looked up Ahn's past legal troubles. The actor had already been arrested for DUI in 2003 and again in 2019. After the 2019 event, he stopped working on his current project and put all of his planned activities on hold.
He publicly apologized and took some time to think about what he had done. About three months later, he returned to the stage in the play "Misery." This led to a lot of talk about whether his return had come too soon.
Koreaboo says that people online were critical of his recent comments and questioned whether it was right for him to talk about alcohol lightly given his past. Some people on the internet said, "Has he still not learned to control his drinking?" "If you've had brain surgery, you should take better care of your health," "How can he appear on a drinking show after DUI?" and "What is there to be proud of?"
Xportsnews also reported that Ahn talked about a health scare he had in the past. He talked about having brain surgery about ten years ago after passing out from a subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2013, which needed emergency care and a long recovery time.
Ahn said, "About 10 years ago, I underwent brain surgery, and because of that, I couldn't drink or smoke at all for 15 months."
The renewed discussion shows that people are still very sensitive about celebrity DUI cases, especially when they are linked to personal health problems. Ahn hasn't said anything else about the backlash since the debate is still going on online.
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