Police Request Arrest Warrant for Kim Ho-jung on Drunk Hit-and-Run Charges

Agency Head "Instructed Manager to Falsely Confess"
Director "Swallowed Memory Card" Statement

The police have requested an arrest warrant for trot singer Kim Ho-jung, who is accused of drunk driving and hit-and-run.

Trot singer Kim Ho-jung. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 22nd, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced that they had applied for an arrest warrant for Kim on charges including hit-and-run injury and dangerous driving injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The police also applied for arrest warrants for Lee Kwang-sik, CEO of Saenggak Entertainment, and Director Jeon on charges of aiding the escape of a criminal and evidence tampering. CEO Lee claimed that he was the one who instructed the manager to falsely surrender, and that the removal of the memory card was the director’s personal decision. It was reported that Director Jeon stated he "swallowed" the memory card himself.

Kim is accused of fleeing after causing an accident by colliding with a taxi on the opposite side of the road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:40 p.m. on the 9th. Kim appeared at the police station at around 4:30 p.m. the next day, 17 hours later. During this process, it was revealed that Kim’s manager wore Kim’s clothes to the police to give false testimony, and the agency’s director removed the black box memory card from Kim’s vehicle, indicating an organized attempt to conceal the crime.

After finishing the police investigation at around 10:41 p.m. the previous day, Kim said, "If there are any remaining investigations, I will sincerely cooperate," and apologized, saying, "I am sorry." The investigation had actually ended around 5 p.m., but the process was delayed due to disagreements over whether to set up a photo line. It was said that Kim was reluctant to face the press and stayed inside the police station. Around 2 p.m. that day, Kim avoided the press waiting in front of the Gangnam Police Station photo line and entered the building through the underground parking lot. During this process, a scuffle occurred as the police blocked reporters.