Rapper Noel, real name Jang Yong-joon, was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial for refusing to comply with the police's request for a breathalyzer and assaulting a police officer.
Chief Judge Shin Hyuk-jae of the 4th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Jang, who had been charged with driving without a license, to such a judgment.
The court pointed out, "Even though the accused was sentenced to probation of imprisonment for drunk driving, he did not take himself seriously, refused to take a breathalyzer, and committed the crime in this case.
However, the court explained, "Reflecting on his mistakes for some crimes, abandoning the substantive examination of the warrant, and trying to recover the damage, taking into account favorable circumstances, decided the sentence for him."
Jang Je-won, the president-elect's chief of staff, the son of the People's Power National Assembly member Jang Je-won, was driving a car at the St. Mary's Hospital Intersection in Seocho-gu, Seoul around 10:30 pm on September 18 last year and had an accident with another car.
Afterwards, the current offender was arrested on charges of not responding to a request for a breathalyzer test from a police officer belonging to the Seocho Police Station who was dispatched to the scene and assaulting the officer with his head.
In 2019, Jang was also charged with driving a car while drunk in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and 2 years of probation in June 2020.