Comedian Cleared of Drunk Driving

Lee Chang-myung

The Seoul Southern District Court on Thursday acquitted comedian Lee Chang-myung of leaving the scene of an accident after drunk driving last year, but fined him W5 million for violating traffic laws and as compensation.

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Lee was booked in April of last year after slamming into a traffic light in his Porsche SUV and fleeing the scene. Police said he was drunk at the time with an estimated blood alcohol level of 0.16 percent -- enough to have his driver's license revoked.

He went into hiding for 20 hours but finally showed up at a police station, where he said he had to go to a hospital for medical care and denied driving under the influence.

The doctor who treated him said the comedian smelled of alcohol, and witnesses spotted Lee drinking in a restaurant prior to the accident and attempting to call a driver to take him home.

But the presiding judge said the charges were based on circumstantial evidence and found Lee not guilty.