Blood alcohol level exceeded license revocation threshold; upcoming shows and fan meeting in doubt

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo [Newsis]
Actor Ko Kyung-pyo [Newsis]

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo, 36, crashed his car into a garbage truck while heavily intoxicated early Saturday, with his blood alcohol concentration confirmed to have exceeded the legal threshold for license revocation. His agency acknowledged the incident and issued an apology, and the fallout is expected to affect several television programs and a fan meeting in which Ko is scheduled to appear.

According to police, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul is investigating Ko on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act. Ko is accused of colliding with a garbage truck while driving his personal vehicle in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday. No passengers were in the vehicle at the time.

Officers who responded to the scene administered a breathalyzer test and found Ko's blood alcohol concentration to be at or above 0.08 percent — the threshold at which a driver's license is revoked under Korean law. Police allowed Ko to return home after completing the breath test and initial questioning, and plan to conduct further investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The precise blood alcohol reading was not disclosed.

Ko's agency, CLN Company, issued a statement offering a "deep apology to those who suffered harm as a result of Ko Kyung-pyo's drunk driving accident," and said it was "sincerely sorry for causing disappointment and concern to everyone who believed in and supported him."

The agency added that Ko "acknowledges his wrongdoing and is deeply reflecting on it," and that he "takes the gravity of drunk driving seriously, will humbly accept any penalties handed down, and will fulfill his responsibilities, including making amends to those affected." The agency also said it "takes this matter gravely and will pay closer attention to managing our talent to ensure this does not happen again."

The incident is expected to have a significant impact on Ko's broadcasting schedule. He is currently appearing on the tvN variety show "Six Sense: B-Side" and was set to feature in the MBC variety program "Hangout with Yoo" airing Saturday. He is also cast in the tvN variety show "Bogeom Magical 2," set to premiere Nov. 29, and the Tving original "Daetalchul: Dosigoedamn," scheduled for release Dec. 2. Since several of these programs have already finished filming, attention is focused on whether his segments will be edited out or reduced. No official statement on broadcast or editing decisions has yet been issued by the production teams.

A fan meeting scheduled for the following week is also in doubt. Ko had been set to hold the "2026 Ko Kyung-pyo Fan Meeting: NOW KYUNGPYO NIGHT" at Sungam Art Hall in Seoul on Nov. 21, with two sessions planned at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Whether the event will proceed has not been decided.

Ko made his debut in the 2010 KBS drama series "Jungle Fish 2" and rose to wider public recognition through his role as Sung Sun-woo in the tvN drama series "Reply 1988." He has since appeared in a number of productions, including the drama series "Jealousy Incarnate," "Chicago Typewriter" and "Mon-Wed-Fri-Tue-Thu-Sat," as well as the film "6/45."


shee@heraldcorp.com