The past of Emmy Award nominee Lee Jung-jae has lately been uncovered by internet users. Screenshots from press reports claiming the actor from Squid Game was involved in several DUIs and assaults have been making the rounds on social media.
Many online users expressed amazement upon learning that Lee Jung Jae had a history of DUI and assault offenses throughout his twenties, following earlier claims that he had landed the male lead role in the upcoming Star Wars series “The Acolyte.”
One internet user shared a picture of a 1999 article on a well-known community forum in which it was stated that actor Lee Jung Jae, who was 26 years old at the time, had been accused of driving while intoxicated. The blood alcohol content of Lee Jung Jae was 0.222% (a BAC of 0.08% qualifies as legally drunk).
Lee Jung-Jae Controversy
A member of the well-known South Korean online site Instiz revealed the 49-year-old actor’s numerous misdeeds, which the user said had been ignored. The actor was accused of attacking several people, including a woman, after being detained for driving while intoxicated.
Recently, reports of Lee Jung-jae’s homophobia have also surfaced. In 2013, Korea JoongAng Daily published an article detailing the actor’s homophobic remarks during an interview with Vogue Korea over his friend’s suicide. Many K-netizens said that it was their first time hearing about the actor, while one expressed amazement that people were unaware of their background.
Also, a number of online users mentioned that several well-known celebrities have managed to restore their reputations, particularly when the news broke during a period when not many people had access to the internet. It is stated that the alleged offenses occurred as far back as 2000.
However, a lot of people stood up to support the actor. They disagreed about how people can change in 20 years or about someone causing trouble because they were cast as the lead in a big Star Wars movie.
For almost a day, there has been discussion on the internet regarding Lee Jung-jae, the actor from Squid Game who became well-known worldwide and set numerous records. On Twitter, conversations about the actor’s past—including his several DUIs and assault convictions—are gaining enormous traction.
According to a news clipping that was shared on Instiz, Lee Jung-jae was detained for driving while intoxicated by the Gangnam Police Station. According to the investigation, the actor crashed at Gangnam-gu about two in the morning with a blood alcohol content of 0.222%.
The woman was a 23-year-old office worker. Additionally, it stated that the star refuted the accusations and claimed that the BMW was being driven by his manager. In 2002, Lee Jung-hae was taken into custody for a second DUI. Yonhap News said in an article from August 22, 2002, that the actor was taken into custody by Gangnam Police without being held.
According to reports, he had a blood alcohol content of 0.054%. The actor also acknowledged that he and his pals had consumed three bottles of beer. In 2000, there were reports of assault cases against the actor from Squid Game.
According to a report published in a local news outlet on January 14, 2000, Lee Jung-jae and another man—a 30-year-old male with the surname Pyo—got into a fight at a bar. The incident happened in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, in November 1999.
According to the complaint, he got into a fight with Pyo and attacked him along with a companion who went by the last name Park. He was reported to the Busan Haeundae Police Station sometime in September 2000 for allegedly assaulting a woman who was 22 years old.
It is said that in front of a nightclub in Haeundae-gu, Busan, he kicked and pulled her. The woman was hurt for a fortnight. In addition to these DUI and assault reports, Lee Jung-jae’s remark regarding his companion was found to be homophobic.
When discussing his friend Mr. Y’s death in a 2013 interview with Vogue Korea, he mentioned that Mr. Y ordered him to “stop being gay.” A South Korean celebrity who has been making waves for more than a year has had his previous behavior become a hot topic of conversation.
While some internet users supported him, others attacked him. A few others said that they brought up previous disputes even during Squid Game, but that was lost on most people. It is debatable whether or not the actor’s projects, particularly Squid Game 2, will be impacted by his previous behaviors, which are currently publicized online in mainstream media.
