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Prison sentence finalized for trot singer Kim Ho-joong over DUI hit-and-run

Published: 19 May. 2025, 21:33 Updated: 21 May. 2025, 14:22

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong enters the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 24, 2024. [NEWS1]

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong, 33, has received a final prison sentence of two years and six months for a DUI hit-and-run incident.

According to legal sources on Monday, Kim submitted a petition to withdraw his appeal to the Supreme Court. As a result, the appellate court’s ruling was finalized without further trial.

Kim was indicted and taken into custody on charges of reckless driving resulting in injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. He was accused of driving under the influence in southern Seoul’s Apgujeong neighborhood at 11:44 p.m. on May 9 last year.

He allegedly crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a taxi before fleeing the scene, and had his manager, identified by the surname Jang, turn himself in on his behalf.

Initially, Kim denied driving under the influence, but admitted to the charge 10 days after the incident.

Roughly 50 minutes after the crash, Kim reportedly changed clothes with Jang and left for a motel in Guri, Gyeonggi, using a different manager’s car. Surveillance footage later confirmed he purchased canned beer at a nearby convenience store, leading to suspicions that he was attempting to fabricate a timeline to avoid DUI testing.

Police referred Kim to the prosecution with a recommended charge of drunk driving, but prosecutors ultimately did not pursue it, citing difficulty in verifying his blood alcohol level retroactively.

Both the first and second trial courts found Kim guilty of the main charges and handed down the same sentence — two years and six months in prison.

Others involved in the attempted cover-up also received prison sentences. Lee Kwang-deuk, CEO of Kim’s agency Think Entertainment, and a company executive identified only as Jeon, were sentenced to two years and one year and six months in prison, respectively.

Manager Jang, who falsely confessed on Kim’s behalf, was sentenced to one year in prison with two years of probation. None of the co-defendants appealed, and their sentences have also been finalized.

Kim’s fan club had previously stated on Thursday that the singer had made the “decision to forgo his final appeal after much deliberation.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]