Kwak Do-won announced through an official statement on the 19th: "Hello, this is Kwak Do-won. It took a long time to write this." He bowed his head, saying: "There was fear, great shame, and I couldn't easily say anything about my mistake. First, I sincerely apologize once again to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by my error." Kwak Do-won confessed: "In 2022, I committed the grave mistake of driving under the influence. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by that incident. Since then, I have spent time reflecting on myself, asking myself countless times whether I deserve to stand before people. During this quiet time, I deeply contemplated what attitude I should live with as a person before an actor. I now realize that everything I took for granted was never guaranteed." Kwak Do-won also said: "I had many thoughts while watching the works that were released during this period and the drama that recently started airing. I sincerely apologize for not being able to apologize for my mistake sooner and for missing the time to convey my position." He added: "Before my future activities, I plan to gradually demonstrate the responsible behavior I haven't shown until now through my actions. I will not seek forgiveness quickly. I will prove it with my life, not my words."

Kwak Do-won was previously fined 10 million won through a summary indictment for violating the Road Traffic Act, having been caught driving in Jeju Island on September 25, 2022, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.158%. Kwak Do-won made his comeback with the TVING Original series 'Villains,' which was released on the 18th.