Lee Jun Young Declines Citizen Award After Chasing Down Drunk Driver

Credit: Our Belief Is Brave

Former U-KISS member Lee Jun Young recently explained why he turned down a citizen’s award after successfully chasing and helping apprehend a drunk driver.

On the July 17 episode of JTBC’s One Meal Show, Lee Jun Young, who has made waves this year with diverse roles in projects like When Life Gives You Tangerines and Weak Hero Class 2, joined the cast for a culinary adventure in Seoul’s trendy Yeonnam-dong neighborhood.

During the show, host Tak Jae Hun brought up the incident, saying, “I heard Jun-young caught a drunk driver around here.” Lee Jun Young recounted the harrowing experience: “As I was leaving work, I noticed a car nearly hit the guardrail twice. I honked, but the driver kept swerving dangerously.”

JTBC
Credit: JTBC

Lee Jun Young initially reported the incident to the police and planned to head home. However, he explained, “The police asked if I could follow the car in case of an accident. I figured it was better for my car to get hit than for the drunk driver to crash into someone else, so I agreed.” The pursuit took them on a wild hour-long chase through Seoul’s Jangchung-dong and Jayang-dong neighborhoods.

After the successful apprehension of the drunk driver, police offered Lee Jun Young a citizen’s award, which he declined. When asked why by Tak Jae Hun, Lee humbly responded, “There are far more exemplary and courageous people out there. I felt uncomfortable accepting an award just because I’m a celebrity. So, I simply thanked them for the gesture.”

Credit: Our Belief Is Brave

This wasn’t Lee Jun Young’s first brush with heroism. In August 2021, he spotted a suspected drunk driver while heading home after work. He alerted the police and pursued the vehicle until authorities arrived. Dashcam footage later revealed his cooperation with law enforcement during the incident.

Credit: Our Belief Is Brave

Lee Jun Young debuted as a member of the K-pop boy band U-KISS in 2008, before branching into acting in 2017. He gained recognition through the drama “Avengers Social Club” and has since appeared in popular series such as Good Casting, Imitation, D.P., Let Me Be Your Knight, May I Help You?, Mask Girl, The Impossible Heir, and Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale.

In the first half of 2023 alone, Lee Jun Young has starred in four high-profile projects: the Netflix series Melo Movie, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Weak Hero Class 2, and Pump Up the Healthy Love, cementing his status as one of Korea’s busiest and most versatile young actors. 

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