Lee Kyung Gyu has spoken candidly about the fallout from his medication-impaired driving incident, recalling how standing at a police photo line left him feeling shattered.
On the Oct. 15 broadcast of ‘Table Tales’ on tvN STORY—where Kim Sook appeared as a special MC for the show’s refreshed first episode—Lee Kyung Gyu hesitated before addressing the topic. "There’s a lot I could say about the ‘medication driving’ issue," he began, then reflected, "I realized a person can actually think about death. It was very serious. Time has passed, so I’m better now, but the trauma stayed with me for a long time."
Previously, Lee Kyung Gyu was booked on suspicion of medication-impaired driving after taking a prescribed drug and then driving in Seoul’s Nonhyeon-dong. According to his account on air, a parking attendant mistakenly handed him a vehicle of the same model as his, leading the actual owner to report a suspected theft. Responding officers administered a field test that came back positive. After questioning, Lee Kyung Gyu told reporters, "I didn’t realize I shouldn’t drive when I’m on certain anti-panic medications or when I’m unwell. If you’re taking that kind of medicine, it’s best to refrain from driving."
He also described the intensity of public scrutiny. "I wasn’t talking to anyone. I used to joke, ‘If you dodge the local substation, the main precinct will get you,’ but I ended up going to both. I even stood at the police photo line," he said, surprising junior cast members with his frankness. Lee Young Ja lightened the mood—"I’ve stood at a photo line too," she quipped—and Kim Sook added, "She got there first—trailblazer," drawing laughs.
"When misfortune hits out of nowhere, there’s no way to handle it. I couldn’t cope," Lee Kyung Gyu continued. "A junior once asked me, ‘Do you suffer when you see hate comments?’ I told him, ‘Most people aren’t as interested in others as you think—don’t let it get to you.’ That advice comforted him. But when I became the target, it wasn’t like that at all. It felt like the entire world was staring only at me," he said.
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