Comedian Hong Jang-won Confesses to Second DUI... Caught 19 Years Ago, 'Suspended Broadcasting Activities'

SBS Public Recruitment 9th Comedian Hong Jang-won has belatedly confessed to being caught for DUI for the second time and declared a suspension of all broadcasting activities.

Caught for DUI in June, confessed after 50 days

On the 18th, Hong Jang-won revealed through a handwritten letter on his YouTube channel 'Mjang Planning' that 'on June 28, while returning home, I was caught in a DUI checkpoint with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.065,' stating, 'There was no accident or personal injury, and I was caught while driving alone, and legal proceedings are ongoing.'

He mentioned that 'the final results will come out in a month or two,' indicating that he is currently in the legal processing stage. He expressed deep guilt about revealing the fact only after more than 50 days since being caught.

Has a history of DUI from 19 years ago

Hong Jang-won confessed that this is not his first DUI. He stated, 'I also received a license suspension and a fine 19 years ago in 2006,' adding, 'At that time, I was even more foolish than now, so I did not properly recognize the depth of my crime and did not reflect on it. As a result, I ended up committing the same crime again.'

This shows that Hong Jang-won repeated the same mistake without awareness of the seriousness of DUI, and he is expected to face greater social criticism.

'The greater sin is hiding it for 50 days'

Hong Jang-won expressed greater guilt about continuing to broadcast while hiding the DUI itself. He confessed, 'The greater sin is that after being caught for DUI, I continued broadcasting without honestly speaking for over 50 days, pretending as if nothing happened.'

In particular, he explained in detail his feelings at the time, saying, 'I was afraid to let people know that my one mistake had ruined the workplaces and livelihoods of my staff and many participants,' and 'During the day, I pretended to be fine while broadcasting, deceiving viewers and colleagues, and at night, I couldn't sleep due to fear and guilt.'

Announced indefinite suspension of broadcasting activities

Hong Jang-won declared that he would immediately suspend all broadcasting activities. He stated, 'I will find a way to responsibly return the profits generated from YouTube and broadcasting activities over the past 50 days,' and 'I will close my YouTube channel and all broadcasting activities and take an indefinite period of reflection and self-restraint.'

This effectively means the end of the 'Mjang Planning' channel, which has about 700,000 subscribers, and is expected to have a significant impact on related staff and participants.

Awareness of social responsibility of broadcasters

Hong Jang-won acknowledged his social responsibility as a broadcaster, stating, 'DUI is a clear crime that cannot be excused or justified. As a broadcaster living on the trust and support of viewers, it is behavior that should never be done.'

This confession seems to respond to the social demand for public figures to have a greater sense of responsibility, but questions about its sincerity arise due to the second DUI.

Impact on the entertainment industry

Hong Jang-won was selected as a comedian in the SBS Public Recruitment 9th in 2007 and has been active since then, establishing Mjang Planning in 2020 to continue podcasting and YouTube activities. The sudden suspension of a channel with 700,000 subscribers is expected to have a considerable impact on the related industry.

Especially as controversies over DUI continue in the entertainment industry, Hong Jang-won's case is expected to serve as a reminder of the social awareness regarding DUIs among public figures.

Need for prevention and true reflection

Hong Jang-won's confession this time, having committed the same crime 19 years ago, shows that it is not just a simple mistake but a repeated act of deviation. Accordingly, there are calls for specific efforts to prevent recurrence along with true reflection.

This incident involving Hong Jang-won serves to awaken awareness of the dangers of DUI and the social responsibility of public figures, while also emphasizing the importance of personal efforts to avoid repeating past mistakes.