Actor Kwak Do-won issued a belated apology statement three years after halting activities due to a drunk driving incident.
On the 19th, Kwak Do-won shared a lengthy statement starting with, “It took a long time to write this. I was both afraid and ashamed, and I couldn’t easily express any words in front of my mistake.”
“I committed the serious wrongdoing of drunk driving in 2022. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and disappointed because of it,” he said. “Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on myself, questioning whether I deserve to stand in front of people. Over time, in a world that has grown quieter, I’ve deeply pondered how I should live as a person before being an actor. I’ve now realized that all the things I took for granted were never truly deserved,” he confessed.
He continued, “I genuinely apologize for not having apologized for my mistake at an earlier time and for missing the right moment to express my position. Before resuming future activities, I intend to gradually prove through actions the responsible image that I failed to show before.”
He added, “I won’t rush to seek forgiveness. I will prove myself through life, not words,” bowing repeatedly.
Kwak Do-won was charged with drunk driving in September 2022 and halted all activities. Because of the controversy involving Kwak Do-won, the release of the series “Villains,” which had completed filming and was scheduled for release in 2023, was postponed.
After three years, Kwak Do-won made a comeback announcement through an apology statement one day after the release of “Villains” on the 18th.
▶ Below is Kwak Do-won’s full statement
Hello, this is Kwak Do-won.
It took a long time to write this.
I was both afraid and ashamed, and I couldn’t easily express any words in front of my mistake.
Firstly, I deeply apologize once again to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by my wrongdoing.
I committed the serious wrongdoing of drunk driving in 2022. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and disappointed because of it.
Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on myself, questioning whether I deserve to stand in front of people. Over time, in a world that has grown quieter, I’ve deeply pondered how I should live as a person before being an actor. I’ve now realized that all the things I took for granted were never truly deserved.
Watching the works that were released and the recent drama that started airing, I’ve had many thoughts. I’m genuinely sorry for not having apologized earlier and for missing the right moment to express my position.
Before resuming future activities, I intend to gradually prove through actions the responsible image that I failed to show before. I won’t rush to seek forgiveness.
I will prove myself through life, not words.
I sincerely apologize once again to everyone I have disappointed.
Thank you for reading this post until the end.
Sincerely, Kwak Do-won