Ex-pro baseball player Lee Yong-kyu indicted on drunk-driving charges

Former professional baseball player Lee Yong-kyu, 41, has been indicted on charges of causing a traffic accident while heavily intoxicated.

The Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors Office indicted Lee on Tuesday on charges of aggravated injury through dangerous driving under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Crimes, as well as drunk driving.

Lee is accused of driving under the influence at around 6:25 a.m. on June 12 on a six-lane road in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, where he struck a vehicle making a U-turn in violation of a traffic signal.

The impact sent Lee's vehicle careening sideways into a traffic patrol car parked on the roadside, where it came to a stop.

A male driver in his 60s who was in the U-turning vehicle and a police officer in the patrol car both sustained minor injuries.

Lee's blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was above the threshold for license revocation.

Lee admitted to all charges during the investigation.

Shortly after the accident, he informed the Kiwoom Heroes — the club where he had been serving as a playing coach — of his intention to retire, and the club accepted his resignation.

The Korea Baseball Organization held a disciplinary committee hearing on June 25 and handed Lee a two-year disqualification.

The KBO initially imposed a one-year ban under Article 151 of its regulations, which covers conduct unbecoming of a member, then added a second year in light of his role as a coach expected to set an example for players, the social harm caused by the drunk-driving incident, and the fact that the accident resulted in personal injuries.