Comedian Lee Kyung-kyu Under Investigation for Traffic Law Violation

Comedian 이경규 (Lee Kyung-kyu) is currently under investigation for violating traffic laws, with the focus now on whether he was in a 'driving-acceptable state' due to the presence of drugs in his system. According to a report by MBN on June 24, the Gangnam Police in Seoul have summoned Lee for questioning regarding the allegations, marking a shift from a simple incident to a criminal investigation.

The incident occurred on June 8 around 2 PM when Lee mistakenly drove another person's vehicle of the same make as his own from a golf practice range in Gangnam, Seoul. The mix-up happened when a parking attendant incorrectly handed over the keys, and Lee returned to the scene after realizing his personal belongings were not in the car.

However, the owner of the vehicle reported it as a suspected theft, prompting police to conduct breath and drug tests at the scene. The drug test returned a positive result, leading to a more thorough investigation. In response, Lee explained during police questioning that the results were likely influenced by his prescribed medication for panic disorder and cold medicine. He confirmed that he had received a prescription for cold and flu medication from a pharmacy within the golf facility and that he has been taking psychiatric medication for over ten years, which may have affected the test results.

Despite this, police have stated that even if the medications were prescribed, if they impair driving ability, it could still fall under the category of drug-impaired driving according to traffic laws. Current traffic regulations explicitly prohibit driving under conditions that impair normal operation, which includes not only alcohol but also the consumption of medications or substances that can diminish cognitive or physical coordination.

On June 16, the acting chief of the Seoul Police, 박현수 (Park Hyun-soo), mentioned in a press conference that Lee is currently in the pre-charge investigation phase and that the National Forensic Service has been asked to analyze the substances involved. The police plan to closely examine the concentration and types of drugs that could potentially affect driving based on the forensic analysis results.