Entertainment industry veteran Lee Kyung-kyu has clarified the circumstances surrounding his being charged with drug-impaired driving.
According to Dispatch on the 9th, Lee Kyung-kyu was apprehended by police in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 8th, following a report of a stolen vehicle.
He had returned to a pharmacy building to retrieve his car, which he had mistakenly believed to be his, and drove it towards Hannam-dong before realizing the bag inside the car was not his. It turned out he had mistaken another person's vehicle for his own.
Although a breathalyzer test confirmed Lee was not under the influence of alcohol, a preliminary drug test returned a positive result, leading to his charge for violating traffic laws.
Lee explained to Dispatch, "I was feeling under the weather, so I got some cold medicine from the hospital. After picking up the medicine, I mistakenly drove off in someone else's car." He added, "I've met with the car owner to explain the situation and have settled the matter."
The substance detected in the drug test was a benzodiazepine, which Lee has been prescribed for over ten years to treat his panic disorder. The police plan to compare the records Lee submitted with hospital records.
Photo by Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)