Trot star Jeong Dong-won given 'suspended indictment' for driving without license

According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday, Jeong was granted a suspended indictment on Nov. 6 for violating the Road Traffic Act.

Trot Star Jeong Dong-won performs at the SBS Prism Tower in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Nov. 16. [NEWS1]

Eighteen-year-old trot star Jeong Dong-won has been given a "suspended indictment" for driving without a license.

According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday, Jeong was granted a suspended indictment on Nov. 6 for violating the Road Traffic Act. Prosecutors had announced in September that Jeong was under investigation for unlicensed driving.

A suspended indictment is a form of non-prosecution in which prosecutors acknowledge the offense but decide not to pursue a trial, taking into account factors such as the perpetrator's age, remorse and the outcome of the act.

Jeong was accused of driving a car without a license on a rural road in his hometown in South Gyeongsang in 2023. Born on March 19, 2007, he was 16 at the time — too young to obtain a driver’s license in Korea.

Under Korea's Article 82 of the Road Traffic Act, individuals must be at least 18 years old - or 16 for motorized bicycles - to receive a driver’s license. Driving without one is punishable by up to 10 months in prison or a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,060).

In a statement issued Sept. 11, Jeong’s agency, Showplay Entertainment, admitted that Jeong “practiced driving for about 10 minutes near his home in Hadong County” and said he “deeply regrets and reflects on his mistake.”

The agency also claimed that an acquaintance who obtained video footage of Jeong driving later demanded a large sum of money.

According to the statement, “A person who had been a friend took Jeong’s phone and accessed its photo album without permission. That friend and others then blackmailed him, demanding over 200 million won in exchange for silence. Jeong refused and reported them to the police.”

Showplay added that the blackmail suspects have since been arrested and are on trial, and said it will “provide stricter guidance to prevent similar incidents.”

The case was first investigated by the police and later transferred to the prosecution. Initially handled by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, it was reassigned to the Seoul Western District office due to Jeong’s place of residence.

Separately, Jeong was caught in 2023 riding a motorcycle on a highway, just two days after obtaining his motorbike license. Prosecutors also suspended indictment in that case for violating traffic restrictions.

Jeong rose to fame after appearing on TV Chosun’s trot audition show “Mr. Trot” in 2020 and has recently been active under his idol-inspired alter ego JD1.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY CHO MOON-GYU [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]