FC Seoul’s soccer player Jesse Lingard posted an apology Tuesday for riding an electric scooter without having a driver’s license or wearing a helmet.
Lingard revealed a video on his Instagram story with the caption “Safety first always,” where he said “Obviously I was on an e-scooter yesterday, I was driving around for a couple of minutes on an e-scooter. The policy, you know, I didn’t know the rules of the policy of wearing a helmet, of having a license as well.”
He also advised those who visit South Korea to check the rules and wear helmets when they ride electric bicycles or scooters in the country, vowing not to violate rules again.
In the following story, Lingard again urged his fans to know the rules and stay safe in other countries. His unlicensed driving came to light when the high-profile K-leaguer posted a video to his Instagram on Monday about riding an e-scooter in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Some netizens pointed out he had his license suspended for 18 months last September for drunk driving in Britain and the police decided to look into the case. Others speculated as to whether he was under the influence while riding the scooter, according to local media.
The video was deleted from Lingard’s account.
According to the South Korean Road Traffic Act’s Article 80, Driver’s licenses for motorcycles are required to ride electric scooters or bicycles.
Unlicensed riding of such electric vehicles is punishable with a 100,000 won fine ($75). For riding without a helmet, users can be fined 20,000 won.
