Trot Star Jeong Dong-won performs on the SBS Prism Tower in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Nov. 16. [NEWS1]
Eighteen-year-old trot star Jeong Dong-won has been given a “suspended indictment” for driving with no license.
In keeping with the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Workplace on Saturday, Jeong was granted a suspended indictment on Nov. 6 for violating the Highway Visitors Act. Prosecutors had introduced in September that Jeong was below investigation for unlicensed driving.
A suspended indictment is a type of non-prosecution by which prosecutors acknowledge the offense however resolve to not pursue a trial, taking into consideration elements such because the perpetrator’s age, regret and the end result of the act.
Jeong was accused of driving a automotive with no license on a rural street in his hometown in South Gyeongsang in 2023. Born on March 19, 2007, he was 16 on the time — too younger to acquire a driver’s license in Korea.
Beneath Korea’s Article 82 of the Highway Visitors Act, people should be a minimum of 18 years outdated – or 16 for motorized bicycles – to obtain a driver’s license. Driving with out one is punishable by as much as 10 months in jail or a high-quality of as much as 3 million received ($2,060).
In an announcement issued Sept. 11, Jeong’s company, Showplay Leisure, admitted that Jeong “practiced driving for about 10 minutes close to his residence in Hadong County” and mentioned he “deeply regrets and displays on his mistake.”
The company additionally claimed that an acquaintance who obtained video footage of Jeong driving later demanded a big sum of cash.
In keeping with the assertion, “An individual who had been a pal took Jeong’s telephone and accessed its picture album with out permission. That pal and others then blackmailed him, demanding over 200 million received in change for silence. Jeong refused and reported them to the police.”
Showplay added that the blackmail suspects have since been arrested and are on trial, and mentioned it’s going to “present stricter steerage to forestall comparable incidents.”
The case was first investigated by the police and later transferred to the prosecution. Initially dealt with by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Workplace, it was reassigned to the Seoul Western District workplace as a result of Jeong’s place of residence.
Individually, Jeong was caught in 2023 using a motorbike on a freeway, simply two days after acquiring his bike license. Prosecutors additionally suspended indictment in that case for violating visitors restrictions.
Jeong rose to fame after showing on TV Chosun’s trot audition present “Mr. Trot” in 2020 and has just lately been energetic below his idol-inspired alter ego JD1.
BY CHO MOON-GYU [[email protected]]
