[Dispatch=Yuha Sky Reporter] Actor Lee Jae-ryong admitted to the charge of hit-and-run in his first trial. However, he denied the suspicion of "alcohol topping," the allegation that he drank additional alcohol to interfere with a breath test.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 10 (Presiding Judge Lee Jae-wook) held Lee Jae-ryong's first court hearing on the 13th. Lee Jae-ryong faces charges of hit-and-run and obstruction of a drunk-driving test under the Road Traffic Act.

Lee Jae-ryong appeared in court in a black suit that day. When the court asked about his occupation, he answered briefly, "I'm an actor."

His defense counsel admitted to the hit-and-run charge. He also admitted to drinking additional alcohol after the accident. However, he denied the charge of obstruction of a drunk-driving test, saying there was no intention to make measurement difficult or to evade it.

The next court hearing is scheduled for March 24 next year. The court plans to call as a witness the person who drank with Lee Jae-ryong at the time of the incident and question him. The court also plans to conduct witness examination of the police officer who responded to the accident scene.

Lee Jae-ryong is suspected of hitting a median barrier while driving near Cheongdam Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11 p.m. on March 6, and leaving the scene. Police arrested Lee Jae-ryong at an acquaintance's residence approximately three hours later.

The prosecution indicted Lee Jae-ryong without detention in August. However, the charge of drunk driving was not applied. At the time, it was not clearly proven that the blood alcohol concentration estimate was above 0.03%, the punishment standard.

This is the third time Lee Jae-ryong has faced an alcohol-related controversy. In 2003, his license was suspended due to a drunk-driving accident. In 2019, he damaged a sign in front of a bowling alley and received a suspended prosecution decision.

<Photo=Dispatch DB>