Shin Hye-sung, a member of veteran K-pop boy band Shinhwa, has been arrested after he was found asleep in a stolen car and refused a breathalyser test.
According to South Korean news outlets, the 42-year-old, whose birth name is Jung Pil-kyo, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday (Oct 11) on the charges of refusing a breathalyser test.
Police had responded to a call regarded a stopped vehicle in the middle of the street and arrived to find Shin at around 1.40am sleeping in a stolen car in Seoul’s Songpa ward.
Shin’s agency, Liveworks Company, released a statement admitting that the singer had been driving a vehicle that was not his while intoxicated.
It said: “After attending a gathering with acquaintances at a restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul on Monday night, Shin Hye-sung left for home at around 11pm. He had consumed alcohol during the gathering and received a key from the valet parking attendant.
“On the way home, he stopped the car on the road and fell asleep. Police were called to investigate the parked vehicle, and he was arrested for refusing the breathalyser test.”
The agency apologised on Shin’s behalf, saying: “There is no excuse for Shin Hye-sung’s behaviour of driving under the influence of alcohol as well as driving someone else’s car without realising that it was not his.”
According to The Korea Herald, Shin was previously caught for drink driving in April 2007. His blood level was reportedly 0.097%, which is high enough to have his driver’s licence suspended.
Shinhwa is among the longest-lasting boy bands in K-pop, having made its debut under SM Entertainment in 1998. While the six members have individual careers, they still have activities as a group. Shin is the main vocalist of the sextet. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
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