Nam Tae-Hyun DUI Case: Ex-WINNER Member Gets One Year In Jail, Fined With 1 Million KRW - Deets

Former

WINNER member, Nam Tae-Hyun was found guilty of his looming drunk driving case. The South Korean singer, who has also acted in projects like Late Night Restaurant and Under The Black Moon Light, was charged with a DUI incident, which surfaced in May 2025. According to reports, the 31-year-old artist was sentenced to 1-year in prison along with other penalties and charges. Taehyun remains a troubled idol. He was previously found guilty of using drugs in January of 2024. Nam Taehyun's second DUI case cast a shadow on his return to singing at a festival in Hongdae last year.

Taehyun’s jail term

On April 9, Korean media reported that Taehyun was sent to prison by the Seoul Western District Court judges Yang Eun Sang and Heo Jun Seo. He was held accountable for multiple charges, including violations of the Road Safety Act. He has now been entrusted with heavy penalties, and a fine upto 1 million KRW (approx $675). The court dictated in the verdict that the artist posed serious threats to the safety of other individuals.

More about Taehyun's court verdict

The Court cited that Taehyun was driving at the speed of 182 Km/hr instead of the limit of 80 km/hr on Gangbyeonbuk-ro. It added, "The defendant committed the crime while on probation for a violation of the Narcotics Control Act, which is highly reprehensible."The court did not issue a bench/detention warrant as they believed that there was no probable cause for Taehyun to flee or destroy evidence. Reports suggest that no casualties occurred, but Taehyun's blood test showed an alcohol concentration of 0.08%, which is more than the limit permissible in South Korea.

Taehyun's previous cases

Taehyun is considered a repeat offender as the judges witnessed. The DUI case happened while Taehyun was on probation following his violation of the Narcotics Control Act for a prior drug charge. In January of 2024, he was found guilty of using drugs. According to the case, the singer was charged with consuming an illegal drug, philopon, purchased through Telegram. Taehyun was also previously charged with DUI in March of 2023, for which he was fined approximately $6 million.

About Nam Tae-Hyun

Nam Taehyun debuted as the lead vocalist for boy band WINNER in 2013. He composed and produced music as part of the K-pop group. In March 2017, he founded a music label, South Buyers Club, which was later renamed to The South.