Kim Sae Ron, “I’m working part-time to support my family. My family is struggling with financial difficulties”
Kim Sae Ron’s side asked for leniency, revealing that her family is struggling with their livelihoods after paying out enormous amounts of compensation.
On the morning of March 8th, the Seoul Central District Court held the first trial of Kim Sae Ron, who was indicted on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving).
The prosecution stated, “Kim Sae Ron’s blood alcohol level was over 0.2% and she tried to run away without taking any measures after driving under the influence. It can’t be considered a light matter that passenger A still aided and abetted Kim Sae Ron despite knowing that she was driving under the influence of alcohol. However, Kim Sae Ron confessed and made efforts to compensate for the damages.” They then imposed a fine of 20 million won on Kim Sae Ron, and 5 million won on A.
Kim Sae Ron’s lawyer stated, “The defendant deeply regrets her actions and vows never to commit such a crime again. She has also refrained from drinking alcohol and sold her car. She has paid all the compensation for damages. In fact, she had never driven drunk before the accident and often used a chauffeur for short distances.” The lawyer also explained the situation at the time, saying “Kim Sae Ron had two glasses of wine and drove to her friend’s apartment to have a talk. She stopped her car in front of her friend’s apartment after driving for 1 km. When the defendant and her friend were talking, they received a request to move the car and called the chauffeur again.”
Read also: Kim Sae Ron Fined 20 Million Won for Drunk Driving Accident, “I’m Reflecting on My Actions”
Kim Sae Ron’s rep continued, “The defendant had contacted the chauffeur several times before committing the crime, and her recidivism rate is low”, adding “The defendant is currently supporting her family as the eldest daughter, and her family is also struggling with financial difficulties after paying a large amount of compensation for damages”. They emphasized, “We hope that the defendant will be given as much leniency as possible”.
Kim Sae Ron was indicted without detention on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing consecutive collisions with guardrails, trees, and transformers on a road near Hakdong Intersection in Gangnam-gu, Seoul at around 8 a.m. on May 18th last year. At that time, Kim Sae Ron’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.2%, which greatly exceeds the license cancellation limit of 0.08%. Passenger A, who was in Kim Sae Ron’s car at the time of the accident, was also sent to trial on charges of aiding and abetting drunk driving.
Source: Nate
