'Reply 1988' Star Go Kyung-pyo in Drunk-Driving Crash — Agency Apologises as Shows Cut His Scenes
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
South Korean actor Go Kyung-pyo, best known around the world for playing Sung Sun-woo in the beloved drama Reply 1988, has been involved in a drunk-driving accident in Seoul — and the fallout for his career has been swift.
The 36-year-old actor was driving his personal car in Donggyo-dong, in Seoul's Mapo District, at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, when he collided with a street-cleaning truck, according to police and multiple Korean news reports. A breathalyser test at the scene reportedly measured his blood alcohol concentration at 0.150 percent — nearly twice South Korea's 0.08 percent threshold for revoking a driving licence.
Police questioned Go at the scene and then allowed him to return home, and plan to summon him again to establish the exact circumstances. His agency, CL&Company, issued a formal apology the same day, confirming the incident and acknowledging its seriousness.
"First, we deeply apologize to everyone who suffered damages due to actor Go Kyung-pyo's drunk-driving accident," the agency said in its statement. "In the early hours of this morning, actor Go Kyung-pyo got into a collision with a sanitation vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol, and a breathalyzer test found that his blood alcohol content was at a level high enough for his driver's license to be revoked."
A Career Put on Hold Overnight
The agency added that Go "acknowledges his wrongdoing and is deeply remorseful," and that he would "humbly accept any penalties" and take responsibility for compensating those affected by the crash. It also apologised to fans who had trusted and supported the actor, saying the company was sorry for the disappointment and concern the incident had caused.
The consequences for Go's television work arrived within hours. He is currently a regular cast member on two variety shows — tvN's Sixth Sense: B-Side and MBC's Hangout with Yoo — and both productions moved quickly to limit his presence on screen. A representative of Sixth Sense: B-Side said the production team would reduce Go's screen time in the episode airing on November 15 and in the upcoming finale.
MBC's Hangout with Yoo went further. Go had been scheduled to appear in the show's "'95 Seoul Song Festival" special airing on the very day of the crash, and the programme issued a statement saying: "We plan to edit Go Kyung-pyo's segments as much as possible before airing the show, so as not to make viewers uncomfortable."
A Painful Irony for a Road Safety Ambassador
What has made the incident particularly damaging is Go's own history. In 2023, he was appointed a traffic accident prevention ambassador for the Korea Road Traffic Authority, a role in which he publicly stressed the need to eradicate drunk driving. That past work is now being held up against him across Korean media, with one report pointedly noting that the actor who once declared there should be no drunk driving is now himself at the centre of a drunk-driving crash.
CCTV footage from the scene, broadcast by Yonhap News TV later on November 14, added to the scrutiny. It shows the moments after the collision, including a sanitation worker following Go and the actor being breath-tested by police at the roadside. The images spread quickly online, and the incident dominated Korean entertainment coverage throughout the day.
The timing could hardly be worse. He is due in The Village Barber 2, premiering November 29, and Great Escape: Urban Legends, releasing December 2. Both productions are reported to be on high alert over his involvement, and a fan meeting — "2026 Go Kyung-pyo FANMEETING: NOW KYUNGPYO NIGHT" — is scheduled for November 21, with its future now uncertain.
Go's career has spanned more than a decade, from his breakout in Reply 1988 to roles that made him one of Korea's most recognisable character actors. Drunk driving carries a particular stigma in South Korea, where celebrities caught behind the wheel after drinking have seen careers stall for years — and in some cases, end altogether. Whether Go can recover will depend on how he handles the weeks ahead, and whether the public accepts his apology as genuine.
For now, his agency has set the tone: full acknowledgement, no excuses, and a promise to accept whatever punishment follows. It is the only response available to him — but in an industry with a long memory for drink-driving scandals, it may not be enough. Olivia Williams also faced the cameras this week with a strikingly honest interview, and I'm A Celebrity returns with a brand-new line-up — but few stars this week will face a reckoning as serious as Go Kyung-pyo's.
Should Go Kyung-pyo's shows cut his scenes entirely, or is editing them down the right call? Let us know in the comments.
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