[Sports Chosun · Reporter Baek Ji-eun] The sentence for singer Kim Ho-joong, who caused a stir with allegations of a drunk hit-and-run, has been finalized.
On the 19th, Kim Ho-joong submitted a withdrawal of his appeal to the Supreme Court, resulting in the 2-year and 6-month prison sentence handed down by the appellate court being confirmed.
As Kim Ho-joong has been detained since last May, he is expected to be released next November if he serves his full term.
Kim Ho-joong was accused of hitting a taxi on the opposite road and fleeing while driving in a drunken state on the road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:40 p.m. on May 9th last year. In the process, former CEO Lee Kwang-deuk and others from Kim Ho-joong’s agency, Saesang Entertainment, were charged with attempting to coerce a false confession from the manager and trying to delete evidence such as black box footage.
However, since Kim Ho-joong appeared at the police 17 hours after the incident and cooperated with investigations, it became difficult to specify the exact blood alcohol level at the time of the accident using the Widmark formula, and thus, the charge of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act was not applied.
The first trial court sentenced Kim Ho-joong to 2 years and 6 months in prison on charges of aggravated dangerous driving injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, fleeing after hitting a person, failure to take action after an accident under the Road Traffic Act, and abetting a fugitive.
Kim Ho-joong immediately appealed, strongly denying the ‘drinking’ method in the appellate trial and arguing that the taxi collision was due to phone manipulation, not alcohol. He submitted over 130 written apologies, pleading for leniency.
However, the appellate court also sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison. The court stated, “The amount of alcohol consumed on the day of the incident was significant, and it cannot be seen as merely a mistake due to phone manipulation. It is judged that the accident was caused by substantially impaired judgment and mental capacity due to drinking. He was with Mr. Jeon, who agreed to falsely confess, when he called the manager and made the request. He changed clothes with Mr. Jang and left the scene, and also left false phone messages with Mr. Jang. The nature of the crimes, such as the accident and fleeing, is serious and the circumstances after the crime are not favorable.”
Kim Ho-joong submitted an appeal on the 1st of the month and continued to consult with legal experts, including a large law firm. However, he ultimately decided to forego further appeal. In response, Kim Ho-joong’s fan club stated, “Kim Ho-joong decided to give up the appeal after deep contemplation. We respect that decision and will prepare for his comeback without faltering and with stability.”
Reporter Baek Ji-eun silk781220@sportschosun.com