Singer Kim Ho-joong receives 2.5 year prison term for hit-and-run as court slams him for 'unconvincing excuses'

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Singer Kim Ho-joong receives 2.5 year prison term for hit-and-run as court slams him for 'unconvincing excuses'

Published: 13 Nov. 2024, 11:20 Updated: 13 Nov. 2024, 14:51

Kim Ho-joong attends a warrant review hearing on May 24, where the judge examined whether the warrants issued by the police were deserved. [NEWS1]

A Seoul court handed down a prison sentence of two years and six months to singer Kim Ho-joong, who was involved in a hit-and-run incident in May.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim on Wednesday on charges of reckless driving, fleeing the scene in violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and failing to report the accident under the Road Traffic Act.

The prosecution requested a sentence of three years and six months for Kim on Sept. 30.

On May 9, Kim drove into a stationary taxi while under the influence of alcohol and fled the scene in the Gangnam District, southern Seoul. Although his manager initially tried to take the blame, Kim turned himself in 17 hours after the incident.

“Kim has inflicted harm and damaged property when he drove into the victim’s taxi, and yet irresponsibly fled the scene and made his manager turn himself into authorities,” said the court.

“It caused confusion in the initial stages of the investigation and wasted a considerable amount of police investigative resources. Kim's behavior after the incident is also delinquent, as he made unconvincing excuses denying his crimes despite objective evidence from CCTV showing him staggering under the influence of alcohol.”

The prosecution also requested sentences of three years and one year, respectively, for Lee Kwang-deuk, CEO of Kim's agency Think Entertainment, and the agency's headquarters director, surnamed Jeon, who are accused of assisting Kim in evading justice and destroying evidence.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]