Weak Hero Class 2 villain, real-life hero: Lee Jun Young caught drunk driver, stopped hit-and-run but rejected Model Citizen Award

Time of India

03-05-2025

Lee Jun Young is on a roll this year. First, he stole the spotlight in When Life Gives You Tangerines, where his role as Park Yeong Beom was appreciated for adding charm and emotional range to the IU and Park Bo Gum starrer Netflix hit. Then he completely flipped the script with his intense role as Geum Seong Je in Weak Hero Class 2, playing the sharp and cold right-hand man to the main villain Baek Jin (played by Bae Na Ra). Now, he's lightening things up as the lead in the romantic comedy Pump Up the Healthy Love, showing fans yet another side of himself.
And just when people thought he couldn't be more versatile, a story about something he did in real life started going viral, and it's the kind of story that makes you look at someone differently.
It turns out Lee Jun Young once chased down a drunk driver and handed him over to the police. His quick thinking and courage had people calling him a "model citizen," and the police even offered him an official Model Citizen Award. But on a recent episode of KBS's Problem Child in House, he explained why he turned the award down.
Why did Lee Jun Young turn down the Model Citizen award?
When host Kim Sook praised him for his bravery, Lee Jun Young didn't try to play the hero. He said he didn't see it as some grand act of duty.
He said, "It wasn't out of a sense of duty. I saw a car swerving in front of me while I was driving and reported it. The police asked, 'Would you be able to follow the car?' so I did. 'It just didn't feel right to accept it,' he admitted. 'I don't think of myself as a model citizen. I just wanted to do the right thing and be cool about it, that's all.'
More stories of Lee Jung Young being a good Samaritan
And apparently, that wasn't even the only time he stepped in to do something good. The episode also revealed that he once stopped a hit-and-run from happening.
Lee shared the story casually, explaining that he was out having drinks with a friend at an outdoor table when a car clipped his friend. 'It wasn't a hard hit,' he said. 'Their clothes got caught on the side mirror, and they fell, but the driver just kept going.' Without hesitation, Lee chased after the car and made the driver stop. The driver claimed they hadn't noticed, but Lee made sure they were held accountable.
When fellow host Hong Jin Kyung asked if he finds it hard to ignore injustice, Lee reflected, 'I think I was fearless when I was younger. I didn't think about what might happen next. If something felt wrong, I'd act on instinct.'
Lee Jun Young wins praise for his role in Weak Hero Class 2
Lee Jun Young is earning praise for his performance in Weak Hero Class 2, with many fans speculating that his character, Seong Je, could take on a bigger role if the series returns. In the post-credits scene, he's shown meeting gangster boss CEO Choi, who appears ready to offer him the position of right-hand man following Baek Jin's death.
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