Son Seung-won’s fifth DUI ends with final two-year prison sentence after he drops appeal — the bitter end of repeated crimes

Actor Son Seung-won, who caused public outrage with his fifth DUI arrest and a malicious attempt to destroy evidence, has received a final two-year prison sentence after dropping his appeal.

Neither Son Seung-won nor prosecutors filed an appeal by the deadline, legal sources said on the 21st. Son had submitted a waiver of his right to appeal on the 18th, shortly after the appellate court issued its ruling on the 13th, saying he would humbly accept the outcome. The two-year prison term imposed by the appellate court therefore became final, ending all legal proceedings.

On the 13th, the Seoul Western District Court’s First Criminal Division, sitting as an appellate court, overturned a lower court’s one-year prison sentence for Son, who had been indicted on charges including violating the Road Traffic Act, and sentenced him to two years in prison. The court explained the increased sentence, saying, "Although the defendant eventually admitted to the crimes and is remorseful, he was arrested while heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.165%, and instructed his girlfriend to hide the dashcam SD card containing evidence against him, making the nature of his conduct particularly reprehensible."

The court continued, sternly rebuking Son: "After arguing with the designated driver, he actively made false statements claiming that the driver had fled. Driving about 7 kilometers while intoxicated and traveling the wrong way on Gangbyeonbuk-ro for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds created a serious danger to the public." The judges also cited his multiple prior DUI convictions and determined that the lower court’s sentence was too lenient given that he had committed the offense again. Kim, Son’s girlfriend, who was charged with helping him conceal evidence, retained the lower court’s sentence of a 1.5 million won fine with a deferred sentence.

This was Son Seung-won’s fifth DUI arrest. He received summary orders for two DUI offenses in 2015 alone. In 2018, he caused a hit-and-run crash while driving under the influence without a license. He became the first celebrity to be prosecuted under the so-called Yoon Chang-ho Act and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, which he served. After repeatedly committing serious crimes and provoking public outrage, he was unable to avoid another substantial prison term following his fifth arrest, leaving an indelible stain on his career.