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South Korean trot singer Jeong Dong-won is under investigation by prosecutors for driving without a license when he was a minor, it was revealed on September 11.

According to industry sources, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office is investigating Jeong on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act. He allegedly drove a vehicle in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, in 2023 when he was 16 years old — below the legal driving age.

The incident came to light during a separate police investigation earlier this year, when Jeong was the victim of blackmail. In March, three suspects seized his phone and threatened to leak his private information unless he paid 500 million won. Jeong reportedly paid about 100 million won before recovering his phone. When police arrested the suspects following a complaint by his agency, they discovered a video on the device showing Jeong driving a truck two years earlier.

Police determined the footage constituted evidence of unlicensed driving and referred the case to prosecutors in June.

A legal representative for Jeong said, “It was just one time out of curiosity,” adding that Jeong has acknowledged his wrongdoing and is cooperating fully with the investigation.

This is not Jeong’s first traffic-related offense. In March, he was caught riding a motorcycle on a highway in Seoul and was granted a suspension of indictment.