Korean actor Go Kyung-pyo (고경표) is under police investigation for allegedly driving under the influence. Early this morning (the 14th), he reportedly crashed into a parked street sweeper in the Donggyo-dong area of Mapo District, Seoul. Police responded to the scene and administered a blood alcohol test, which revealed his blood alcohol concentration met the standard for license revocation in Korea. The case is currently under police investigation.
According to the Seoul Mapo Police Station, Go Kyung-pyo was driving under the influence around 3:30 AM today after consuming alcohol in the Donggyo-dong area of Mapo District when he collided with a street sweeper parked on the roadside. Police have opened an investigation into him on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act for drunk driving. Fortunately, there were no other passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Upon arrival, police immediately conducted a blood alcohol test, confirming Go Kyung-pyo's blood alcohol concentration was above 0.08%, meeting the standard for license revocation. After completing the on-site investigation, police allowed him to return home, with further details regarding the accident's circumstances and his driving route to be clarified later.
In response, Go Kyung-pyo's agency, CL&Company, issued an official apology, stating, “We deeply apologize for causing concern with this unfortunate incident.” The company emphasized that Go Kyung-pyo has “no room for excuses” regarding his actions and is currently deeply aware of his mistake and reflecting on it.
The agency also stated that they will cooperate honestly with the police investigation and “humbly accept all penalties,” while stressing that as a public figure, he will take full responsibility for his actions.
However, following the revelation of the drunk driving incident, public attention has not only focused on the potential legal consequences for Go Kyung-pyo himself but also on the multiple variety shows he has recently participated in, which may now be affected.
Go Kyung-pyo has recently appeared in shows including Sixth Sense: B-Side, How Do You Play?, Country Hairdresser 2, and Great Escape: The Story 2. Notably, he was scheduled to appear as a guest in content related to the 95th Music Festival on How Do You Play?, which was set to air today. The news of his drunk driving breaking on the broadcast day has drawn significant attention to how the production team will handle the situation.
Furthermore, Go Kyung-pyo also participated in the filming of Sixth Sense: B-Side, raising questions about whether the relevant content will need to be re-edited. He also appears in Country Hairdresser 2 and Great Escape: The Story 2, and since some of these roles are fixed appearances, the difficulty of subsequent editing is expected to be even higher.
After the news broke, Korean netizens reacted strongly, not only condemning Go Kyung-pyo's drunk driving but also expressing concern that his negative incident could impact multiple shows, especially those hosted by Yoo Jae-suk (유재석), with discussions quickly spreading across Korean online communities.
What frustrated Korean netizens the most was Yoo Jae-suk being implicated once again due to a cast member's misbehavior. Some netizens directly lamented, “Yoo-daesin (Great Yoo) always encounters cast members causing trouble, it's truly pitiful,” and “Two of Yoo Jae-suk's variety shows are affected.” They felt that despite being an individual cast member's problem, the host and the entire production team ultimately have to deal with the fallout.
Others couldn't help but express sympathy for Yoo Jae-suk, saying, “Yoo-daesin is so unfortunate,” and “The producers must be furious.” Especially since How Do You Play? had content featuring Go Kyung-pyo ready for broadcast, and the drunk driving news broke on the very same day, catching the production team off guard.
Go Kyung-pyo was not just a one-time guest but also participated in the Music Festival project for How Do You Play?, leading many netizens to worry about the increased difficulty of post-production. One netizen commented, “How Do You Play? airs today, seriously,” and “If it's a guest, you just don't invite them next time, but what about the content that's already filmed?” suggesting that the production team might have to make emergency editing adjustments.
Compared to one-off guest appearances, netizens are more concerned about Go Kyung-pyo's role as a fixed cast member in other shows, especially Country Hairdresser 2, where extensive removal of his footage could directly impact the program's content. A netizen directly stated, “There are only three fixed cast members in Country Hairdresser, so even if they cut him out, it's a problem,” and “They are together all day, the footage will look strange, what about his screen time?”
As for Great Escape: The Story 2, which many viewers have long awaited, fans expressed their frustration, exclaiming, “Ahhh, my Great Escape!” “This is too much, my Great Escape!” and “How long have I waited for Great Escape, what is this?!”
Beyond concerns about program broadcasts, many Korean online comments directly targeted Go Kyung-pyo, arguing that drunk driving to the extent of license revocation cannot be simply brushed aside with an apology and “reflection.” One netizen harshly criticized, “Appearing on so many shows and still drunk driving? It's infuriating,” and “He should be made to pay breach of contract fees.” Another added, “If he pretends to reflect for a bit and then comes back on variety shows, I'll be watching.” Some also felt that the most innocent parties in this situation are the other cast members and the behind-the-scenes staff, asking, “Why should the production team and others be affected when a cast member makes a mistake?”
Go Kyung-pyo's drunk driving case is still under police investigation, and the subsequent handling of the multiple variety shows he participated in is drawing significant attention. With Yoo Jae-suk's shows already implicated, Korean netizens are beginning to worry that this drunk driving scandal might once again force “Yoo-daesin” to clean up after a cast member's actions.
