South Korean actor Kim Saeron has been fined 20 million KRW ($15,242) in the first trial for causing a drunk driving accident.

Judge Lee Hwan-gi of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 4 sentenced Kim to a fine of 20 million KRW for violating the Road Traffic Act by driving under the influence. The judge stated, "Although Kim's blood alcohol concentration was high at the time of the accident, we took into consideration that she admitted her mistake and made efforts to recover the damages." Passenger A, who is facing charges of abetting drunk driving, was absent from the trial, and the verdict was separated.

After the sentencing, Kim expressed her remorse, saying, "I am sorry. The fact that I drove under the influence itself was wrong."

The prosecution sought a 20 million KRW fine for Kim, arguing that "she caused a drunk driving accident with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2% or higher and fled the scene without taking any measures, making the nature of the crime unfavorable." Kim apologized in the final hearing, saying, "There will never be such an incident again." Kim's lawyer pleaded for leniency, stating that "the defendant is experiencing financial difficulties due to substantial compensation and, as the family breadwinner, her family is also struggling with living expenses since the incident."

Kim caused an accident last year on May 18, around 8 am, while driving drunk at Hakdong Intersection in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, crashing into a tree and a transformer. The incident resulted in a power outage in the area, including Shinsa-dong, for about 4 hours and 30 minutes, affecting businesses. Kim's side apologized and compensated the affected stores. The National Forensic Service's blood test analysis revealed that Kim's blood alcohol concentration was 0.227%, exceeding the license revocation level of 0.08%.

Kim, who had previously appealed for financial difficulties during the trial, was embroiled in controversy as she was spotted at a hold'em pub in Gangnam last February, the day before the sentencing.

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