“Manager driving” is still hurting celebrities (Girls’ Generation, Brown Eyed Girls, Big Bang)

In 2007, comedienne and singer Kim Hyung-eun died after being in a car accident which was attributed to something called “manager driving.”

Celebrity friends say while Kim’s accident was not due to speeding, many entertainers and especially singers face the danger of traffic accidents due to so-called “manager driving” to meet their hectic schedule. “Manager driving” refers to speeding and aggressive driving showbiz managers are known for to get their charges to work on time. One staffer with an entertainment agency says some singers visit seven different places in the provinces in a day. “They have to sing at university festivals, on TV shows and in a variety of events held in the provinces, meaning they sometimes have to make it from Seoul to Busan in just two-and-a-half hours.”

Their cars are often armed with flashing lights and alarms that show where speeding cameras are located. Another entertainment agency staffer says each of the company’s cars gets about 10 speeding tickets a month. “That’s the price we have to pay not to ruin millions or tens of millions worth of schedules, and the company justifies them as ‘legitimate costs.'”

In 2004, a member of the group Wanted was killed. Numerous other, albeit less serious, accidents have occurred to other singers, including members of the groups Super Junior, TVXQ (Dong-bang-shin-gi), and Shinhwa.

And it continues. Members of Girls’ Generation, Brown Eyed Girls, and Big Bang have been in accidents on August 4, 7, and 11, respectively. Looking at the wreckage of his car, Dae-sung, of Big Bang, should count himself lucky that he only got his nose broken.