“Please issue the most lenient decision within the limits set by the law.”
Mr. H, swayed by handwritten apology letter from Kim Ho-jung sent from prison
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| Singer Kim Ho-jung is drawing attention after it was revealed that the victim H, of the hit-and-run incident, voluntarily submitted a ‘petition for clemency’ to the court shortly before Kim Ho-jung’s second trial for the hit-and-run incident, set for about a week later. / Reporter Park Heon-woo |
[The Fact | Reporter Kang Il-hong] Singer Kim Ho-jung, facing trial for a hit-and-run traffic accident, drew attention after it was revealed that the victim H submitted a ‘petition for clemency’ to the court voluntarily shortly before Kim Ho-jung’s second trial on May 19.
Taxi driver H submitted a petition with a content requesting clemency for Kim Ho-jung on the 7th of last month. Legal experts say that it is rare for a victim in a dispute relationship to voluntarily make a petition for clemency without a heartfelt request from the perpetrator. This raises interest in the possibility that H’s petition could have a meaningful impact on the future trial.
In the meantime,
H stated, “After it became known that I submitted the petition, there were many requests for media interviews, but I declined them all.” He added, “I hope people understand that it was not to receive praise or gratitude from anyone, but a gesture from my sincere heart.”
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| We conducted a telephone interview with taxi driver H on the afternoon of the 11th. H stated, “I hope people understand that it was not to receive praise or gratitude from anyone, but a gesture from my sincere heart.” /The Fact DB |
<The following is an interview Q&A with H, the victim of the hit-and-run incident, conducted over the phone>
-First of all, it is known that there was no prior consultation, so I’m curious about what led you to write the petition for clemency.
“I received a letter from prison. I was completely caught off guard, but it was an apology letter handwritten by Kim Ho-jung himself and sent to me. In the letter, Kim Ho-jung said, ‘I regret how I drove my car that hit yours without stopping to see the damage and left the scene without taking any measures.’ Every word in the letter touched my heart. I felt that everyone can make mistakes, and I sensed a warm and good-hearted nature from him.”
-Did Kim Ho-jung by any chance ask for a petition in the handwritten letter he sent?
“There was no such content. It was just an apology. That’s why I found his gesture even more commendable, and I thought I should write a petition. If he had demanded such a thing, my thoughts might have been different. After reaching an agreement and parting ways, neither the agency nor any lawyers have requested any related matters from me. From a legal standpoint, everything with me (the agreement) is over, and to put it bluntly, there is nothing more for me to see.”
-It is known that you were greatly shocked during the accident, to the extent that the car was heavily shaken. How injured were you, and is your current physical condition okay?
-I’m also curious to know if you have resumed your main profession of driving a taxi.
“I took a break for a while and recently returned to work. However, I am driving cautiously and slowly, like warming up. I’m not working a lot, just a few hours a day these days. Nothing has changed much except that I don’t have a strong drive for work as before. Since driving is not an urgent livelihood for me, I plan to continue working slowly and steadily in the future.”
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| Kim Ho-jung is nearing the second trial on the 19th. The photo shows singer Kim Ho-jung attending a pre-trial hearing (substantive examination of the warrant) as a pre-trial detainee at the Seoul Central District Court last June with a microphone placed next to him. / Reporter Park Heon-woo |
During the phone interview, H said, “It is natural for everyone to take responsibility and pay for their mistakes, but I have developed a sincere willingness to forgive from a human perspective.” He added, “It was heartwrenching, like looking at a child’s mistake, but after submitting the petition, it became a source of comfort for myself.”
He also mentioned, “The petition contained the message, ‘(Kim Ho-jung) acted foolishly at the outset of the incident to avoid punishment but has genuinely realized his mistake and is reflecting on it. Therefore, I hope the court will issue the most lenient punishment within the limits set by the law and give him a chance to start anew.'”
On May 9th, Kim Ho-jung was driving his own car when he crossed the centerline and collided with a taxi coming from the opposite direction on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
After the accident, it was revealed that the agency representatives and managers attempted to cover up Kim Ho-jung’s drunk driving by switching drivers and removing the black box memory card, sparking controversy.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Division 5 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-heon) indicted Kim Ho-jung on June 18 on charges of special law violations (dangerous driving causing injuries, hit-and-run causing injuries), violations of the Road Traffic Act (failure to take action after the accident), and aiding and abetting a suspect fleeing.
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