Kim Ho-jung, Scheduled to Appear Voluntarily
"I Want to Apologize to Fans and the Public"
Singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who is accused of 'hit-and-run under the influence,' expressed feelings of "distress" and stated his intention to voluntarily appear at the police station within a few days.
Kim Ho-jung: "I regret my actions as a public figure"
On the 20th, Kim's attorney, Lawyer Cho Nam-gwan, distributed a statement to the press explaining the circumstances under which Kim admitted to drunk driving late the previous night.
Lawyer Cho said, "After being appointed as his attorney, on the 17th, the day before the Changwon concert, Kim Ho-jung conveyed a change of heart through his agency." Kim stated, "I am very distressed and troubled. As a public figure, I regret my past actions. Within a few days, I intend to voluntarily appear at the police station to fully acknowledge the facts, including drunk driving, and apologize to my fans and the public." He also conveyed to his attorney, "Through this incident, I realized that one sin leads to another, and lies only breed bigger lies."
Lawyer Cho added, "After coordinating with the police, Kim Ho-jung was scheduled to voluntarily appear this afternoon for questioning and to express his position to the public, but the investigation was postponed due to police circumstances. We judged that it was proper to promptly inform the public of Kim Ho-jung and the agency's stance, so we released the statement late last night."
'Hit-and-run under the influence' controversy, yet concert proceeds... 'Sorry'
On the afternoon of the 18th, fans are moving near the Changwon Sports Park Indoor Gymnasium in Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, where singer Kim Ho-joong (33)'s nationwide tour concert 'Trotarotti Classic Arena Tour 2024' is being held. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, Kim was booked on suspicion of fleeing the scene without taking proper action after colliding with an oncoming taxi around 11:40 p.m. on the 9th on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (violation of the Road Traffic Act for failure to take action after an accident).
After the accident, Kim's manager falsely confessed to the police while wearing the clothes Kim had worn at the time of the accident, claiming "I caused the accident." Kim did not respond to the police summons and stayed at a hotel, appearing at the police station only 17 hours later, at 4:30 p.m. on the 10th. There were also indications that the head of Kim's agency attempted to remove the black box memory card from the accident vehicle, suggesting an organized effort to conceal the crime.
Despite the controversy, Kim proceeded with his scheduled concerts in Changwon, Gyeongnam, on the 18th and 19th, which sparked further debate. During the performance, he apologized, saying "I'm sorry," and reportedly said, "I committed the sin, but you all just came to watch the concert."
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