Nam Tae-hyun pleads for leniency in drunk-driving appeal, says he quit drinking and found office job

Nam Tae-hyun, 32, a former member of the K-pop group Winner, told a court he now works as an office worker and pleaded for leniency over a drunk-driving accident he caused while on probation for a drug offense.

Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 2-2 held the first and final hearing of Nam's appeal Thursday in the case, in which he was indicted on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act.

Nam was indicted on charges of driving drunk in the early morning hours of April 27 last year near Dongjak Bridge on the Gangbyeonbuk-ro expressway in Seoul, heading toward Ilsan, with a blood alcohol level of 0.122 percent. He struck a median barrier while traveling at 182 kilometers per hour on a road with an 80-kilometer-per-hour speed limit. No injuries were reported.

The trial court sentenced him to one year in prison and a fine of 1 million won ($754), citing his prior drunk-driving record and the fact that he reoffended while on probation for the drug case. The court did not order his immediate detention, finding no risk of flight or destruction of evidence.

Nam's defense acknowledged the offense but argued the sentence was too harsh. His attorney said the prior drunk-driving incident involved moving his vehicle about five meters to allow an acquaintance's car to exit, and asked the court to take those circumstances into account.

In his final statement, Nam said he "committed a dangerous and wrongful act by driving drunk" and that he was "deeply remorseful," adding that he knew "no circumstances could serve as an excuse."

Listing his current occupation as office worker, Nam said he had "found a job with difficulty and is fulfilling his responsibilities." He said he had quit drinking entirely, was using public transportation and had been consistently volunteering and attending counseling, adding that he had worked to change his lifestyle so as not to repeat the same mistakes.

He appealed to the court for leniency, saying he would "never again threaten the lives and safety of others through my wrong choices."

Prosecutors, however, asked the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the original sentence.

Nam received a summary order imposing a 6 million won fine for drunk driving in 2023 and was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of using methamphetamine in 2024. If the one-year prison sentence from the trial court is upheld on appeal, he would face a total of two years behind bars — one year for the drunk-driving conviction added to the previously suspended one-year sentence for the drug offense.

The sentencing hearing for Nam's appeal is scheduled for Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.