Singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong indicted for alleged drunk driving

Prosecutors said Tuesday they have summarily indicted singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol last month.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office said it sought a fine of 2 million won (US$1,700) against him. A summary indictment does not require a formal trial.

The member of K-pop boy band SS501 was caught on March 26 as he fell asleep for about 15 minutes in his car while waiting for a traffic light to change in southern Seoul, according to prosecutors.

Kim was driving on his way home after having a drink, they said. He woke up when police officers, who received a report from a passer-by, knocked on the vehicle's window.

His blood alcohol content was 0.075 percent, a level that leads to his driver's license to be suspended.

The 31-year-old, who served in the military from May 2015 to February this year, has been locked in a legal battle as his ex-girlfriend, identified only by her surname Choi, filed a suit in April 2015, seeking compensation. The plaintiff claimed that she miscarried Kim's child in 2014 after being physically abused by him. (Yonhap)