Shinhwa's Shin Hye Sung Receives Probation Sentence For Drunk Driving Case

Shinhwa’s Shin Hye Sung has received his finalized sentence for drunk driving.

On April 20, the sentencing trial for Shin Hye Sung’s DUI case was held at the Seoul Eastern District Court, where he received a prison sentence of six months that is suspended for one year of probation.

Previously on October 11, Shin Hye Sung was arrested for drunk driving and refusing to take a breathalyzer test when caught by police who were dispatched after receiving a citizen’s report of someone sleeping in a parked vehicle in the middle of the road. He was also investigated for driving a car that did not belong to him. After the police investigated him for suspicion of car theft, they found no evidence suggesting he had intended to steal the vehicle and charged him with illegal use of a vehicle instead.

At the trial, the judge stated, “The act of refusing to measure blood alcohol content is a crime worse than drunk driving and having a history of previous penalties for drunk driving is a disadvantage.” However, they added that they took into account Shin Hye Sung’s reflective attitude, that there were no human or material damages, and that he had reached an agreement with the victim of his illegal vehicle use.

Earlier this month, the prosecution demanded a two-year prison sentence for Shin Hye Sung at his first hearing. Shin Hye Sung admitted to all charges but his lawyer pleaded for leniency, saying the defendant had not had alcohol since 2021 due to his struggles with mental health disorders and that this was an unplanned accident from having his first drink in years, not because he habitually drinks and drives.

Shin Hye Sung was previously caught drunk driving in April 2007, with a blood alcohol content of 0.097 percent, which was the standard for license suspension at the time.

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