Supreme Court confirms one-year prison term for rapper No:el

The Supreme Court sentenced Chang Yong-joon, also known as rapper No:el, to one year in prison for refusing to comply with a breathalyzer test, Friday.

Chang, whose father is Rep. Chang Je-won of the ruling People Power Party, was drunk driving and hit another vehicle at an intersection in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 10:30 p.m., Sept. 18, 2021. He was unlicensed at the time, and when approached by a police officer he refused to comply to a breathalyzer test and assaulted the officer.

The lower court found Chang guilty of most charges and sentenced him to one year in prison. He was acquitted of assaulting a police officer as the officer was not seriously injured. Both the prosecution and Chang appealed.

The Supreme Court ruled that the degree of the officer's injury due to Chang’s assault cannot be considered as injury under criminal law, and confirmed the original verdict of one year in prison.

Chang has already served his term during trial.

Separately, Chang was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison and two years of probation in June 2020 for drunk driving in Mapo-gu, Seoul, in 2019. In February 2021, he was arrested for assaulting a passerby on the street in Busanjin-gu, Busan. The prosecution decided not to indict him.

By Lee Jung-youn (jy@heraldcorp.com)