Singer Lee Ru. [Yonhap]
Singer Lee Ru. [Yonhap]

Singer Lee Ru, who drew public criticism after being convicted of drunk driving and swapping out a driver to cover his tracks, is set to appear on television for the first time in years. As the son of veteran singer Tae Jin-ah, Lee Ru will share a stage with his father on an upcoming broadcast, fueling speculation that he is in effect staging a comeback after a period of public contrition.

A preview clip released ahead of Sunday's episode of TV Chosun's "Joseon's Loveman" shows Lee Ru appearing in a three-part special series titled "Joseon's Loveman Song Contest," produced to mark the show's fifth anniversary.

Lee Ru began performing Tae Jin-ah's beloved song "Okgyeongi," after which Tae Jin-ah — seated as a judge — stepped onto the stage and joined his son at the microphone. The full father-son performance of the song, a ballad longing for a woman named Okgyeongi, will air in the broadcast.

Tae Jin-ah first appeared on "Joseon's Loveman" during a Lunar New Year special in 2024, moving viewers when he publicly revealed for the first time how attentively he cares for his wife Okgyeongi, who is battling dementia, sharing every moment of daily life with her.

Lee Ru's sudden reappearance on television, however, has not been met with a warm reception from the public.

In September 2022, Lee Ru was indicted on charges of drunk driving and swapping out a driver, and was sentenced on appeal to six months in prison, suspended for one year, and a fine of 100,000 won ($65).

He had been caught driving drunk in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and it later emerged that a female professional golfer who had been in the vehicle made a false statement claiming she had been the one driving — a so-called "driver swap."

Then, just three months later in December of that year — while still under investigation for that incident — he got behind the wheel again in a heavily intoxicated state.

Lee Ru was driving at high speed along the Gangbyeon Expressway toward Guri when he struck a guardrail and a median barrier, causing his vehicle to overturn in a serious accident.

Ultimately, the court handed down a final sentence of six months in prison, suspended for one year.

With Lee Ru having caused public controversy and received a criminal sentence, observers say his reappearance on television — riding on his family's health struggles — looks like an attempt to slip back into the spotlight through the back door.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com