Ko Kyung-pyo is set to appear in tvN's "Bogeom Magical 2," a variety show scheduled to premiere Nov. 29. [tvN 'Bogeom Magical 2' poster]
Ko Kyung-pyo is set to appear in tvN's "Bogeom Magical 2," a variety show scheduled to premiere Nov. 29. [tvN 'Bogeom Magical 2' poster]

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo's agency acknowledged Saturday that Ko caused a traffic accident while driving drunk in the early hours of the morning and issued an apology.

CL&Company said in an official statement that it "sincerely apologizes to those who were harmed by Ko Kyung-pyo's drunk-driving accident" and extended further apologies "to everyone who believed in and supported Ko for the disappointment and concern this has caused."

The agency said Ko "caused an accident by colliding with a garbage truck while driving under the influence in the early hours of today," adding that a breathalyzer test confirmed his blood alcohol concentration exceeded the legal threshold for license revocation. "Ko has returned home after completing a police investigation and is acknowledging his wrongdoing and reflecting deeply," it said.

The agency said it "takes the gravity of drunk driving seriously" and that Ko "will humbly accept any penalties handed down and fulfill his responsibilities, including making restitution to those affected." It added that the agency itself regards the matter gravely and "will pay closer attention to managing our talent to ensure this does not happen again."

The Seoul Mapo Police Station is investigating Ko on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.

Ko is accused of rear-ending a garbage truck at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday while driving his personal vehicle in a heavily intoxicated state in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was found to be at or above 0.08 percent, the threshold for license revocation. No passengers were in the vehicle, police confirmed.

Ko has been active recently on entertainment programs. He drew attention for showcasing his vocal ability on the "95 MBC Seoul Song Festival" segment of MBC's "Nol-myeon Mwohani," a variety show, and was set to appear alongside actors Park Bo-gum and Lee Sang-i in tvN's "Bogeom Magical 2," scheduled to premiere Nov. 29.


paq@heraldcorp.com