"Performance as Scheduled"... Will Kim Ho-jung's Concert Proceed Despite Arrest Warrant Request for Drunk Hit-and-Run?

"Claimed 'Drank 10 Soju Shots... Accident While Using Phone'
Court May Hold Warrant Hearing as Early as 24th
‘Superclassic’ Cancellation Possible Depending on Schedule"

Singer Kim Ho-jung is moving to a vehicle after completing an investigation at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on the afternoon of the 21st.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Kim Ho-joong (33), a singer for whom an arrest warrant has been requested on charges of drunk hit-and-run, plans to carry out his scheduled performances this week. However, depending on the schedule of the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing), he may be unable to appear in some performances.

Kim Ho-joong was scheduled to perform on the 23rd and 24th at the KSPO Dome in Seoul for the 'World Union Orchestra Super Classic: Kim Ho-joong & Primadonna' concert, and on the 1st and 2nd of next month at the Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeongbuk for the 'Tbaroti Classic Arena Tour 2024 - Gimcheon' concert. His agency, Saenggak Entertainment, reportedly confirmed the issuance of the arrest warrant on the 22nd. The agency stated, "We are reviewing legally whether the concert can proceed," adding, "If it can be done without issues, we plan to proceed as scheduled."

Although Kim Ho-joong's side said they would follow the performance schedule as planned, there is a possibility that the warrant hearing will be held on the 24th. Under the current Criminal Procedure Act, if an arrest warrant is requested for a detained suspect, the warrant hearing must be completed by the next day. If the suspect is not detained, the schedule is set separately. Typically, the court holds the hearing two days after the warrant is requested. If the warrant hearing is decided for the 24th, it may be impossible for Kim Ho-joong to appear in the 'Super Classic' concert starting at 8 p.m. on the same day. There is also speculation that the court may schedule the hearing after the 27th, considering the concert schedule.

Singer Kim Ho-jung is returning home after completing an investigation at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on the afternoon of the 21st.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Tickets for Kim Ho-joong's 'Super Classic' concerts scheduled for tomorrow (23rd) and the day after (24th) were sold out in the morning, and cancellation fees will be waived. Kim Ho-joong's side expressed their intention to perform on the scheduled stage while bearing a 30% ticket fee commission. Ticket prices for this concert range from 150,000 to 230,000 KRW, and as of this date, more than 5,000 seats have been canceled. At this rate, Kim Ho-joong's side is expected to pay about 1 billion KRW. The concert venue has a capacity of 20,000 seats and can generate approximately 4 billion KRW in sales.

Earlier, when Kim Ho-joong was embroiled in the drunk hit-and-run controversy, KBS requested the organizer, Doomer, to find a replacement for Kim Ho-joong. When the request was not accepted, KBS terminated the contract for the use of the hosting name. The KBS Symphony Orchestra also decided not to participate in performances featuring Kim Ho-joong. Although the concert organizer secured a substitute performer, the schedule is tight, and preparations for the concert are not relaxed. The organizer is closely monitoring the schedule of Kim Ho-joong's warrant hearing and is attentive to whether he will appear.

On the 21st, Kim Ho-joong appeared privately at the police station and underwent an investigation. SBS reported that he admitted to drinking at two places: a restaurant and an entertainment establishment. Kim Ho-joong's agency also confirmed the media reports, stating, "He testified that he did not touch any Western liquor and drank mostly soju, within 10 glasses." Regarding the circumstances of the accident where he hit a taxi on Apgujeong Road, he claimed, "I caused the accident due to a momentary mistake while manipulating Bluetooth pairing on my mobile phone."

Meanwhile, on the morning of the same day, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced that they had requested an arrest warrant for Kim Ho-joong on charges including hit-and-run injury and dangerous driving injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The police also requested arrest warrants for Lee Kwang-sik, CEO of Saenggak Entertainment, and Director Jeon, on charges including aiding the suspect's escape and evidence tampering. CEO Lee claimed that he instructed the manager to falsely surrender, while the removal of the memory card was the director's personal decision. Director Jeon reportedly testified that he "swallowed" the memory card himself.