Did They Learn from Kim Ho-jung... Driver Who Caused Traffic Accidents in Jeju and Daejeon Flees Scene

Recently, as drivers involved in collision accidents in Jeju and Daejeon fled the scene, opinions have emerged suggesting that they might be imitating singer Kim Ho-jung.

Drivers flee after consecutive traffic accidents in Jeju and Daejeon... "Under police investigation"

The scene of a traffic accident that occurred on the 5·16 Road near the Seongpanak Trailhead on Hallasan Mountain on the 10th. [Image source=Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters]

On the 11th, the Jeju Dongbu Police Station reported that at around 6:39 p.m. the previous day, a vehicle traveling toward Seogwipo on the 5·16 Road near the Hallasan Seongpanak Visitor Center crossed the center line and collided with three oncoming passenger cars. The driver of the offending vehicle briefly stopped after the accident but then fled driving the damaged car. During this process, the vehicle again crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming mainline bus. Three people, including bus passengers, were injured and transferred to a nearby hospital.

After getting out of the vehicle, the offending driver abandoned the car amid the chaotic situation and fled into a nearby forest. The driver escaped before police and fire authorities arrived at the scene. Police determined that the driver was not the registered owner of the vehicle. Following a police pursuit, the driver was urgently arrested at around 8:20 a.m. on the 11th on a road near Yangji Park in Jeju City, approximately 13 km from the accident site.

The witness who was driving behind the offending vehicle at the time of the accident recalled that immediately after the accident, the offender, Mr. A, got out of the car, smoked a cigarette, and sat in the grass. The witness spotted Mr. A walking on the road toward Jeju City from Hallasan Ecological Forest during their commute and reported it. Mr. A stated, "I did not drink and drive," but also said, "I have no memory of the accident and woke up lying in the grass in the morning." A breathalyzer test conducted immediately after the urgent arrest showed Mr. A's blood alcohol concentration was 0%. Police confirmed that Mr. A was driving a friend's car without a license when the accident occurred and are investigating alcohol consumption and drug use through blood tests.

In Daejeon, police are pursuing another driver who fled after causing a collision with another vehicle. The Daejeon Jungbu Police Station reported that at 12:07 a.m. on the same day, a collision occurred between a passenger car and a 1-ton cargo truck at an intersection with a yellow flashing signal in Sanseong-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon. Fortunately, no one was injured in this accident, but immediately after the collision, the male driver, Mr. B, and female passenger, Ms. C, abandoned the truck and fled. Police are tracking them through CCTV footage and plan to test for drunk driving once they are apprehended.

Did Kim Ho-jung’s case set a precedent? "Concerns over continued similar incidents"

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

As cases of leaving the scene after traffic accidents or drunk driving crackdowns have frequently occurred recently, netizens have suggested that these incidents might be imitating singer Kim Ho-jung. On May 9th at around 11:40 p.m., Kim Ho-jung drove under the influence on a road in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collided with a taxi, and fled the scene. He later coerced an agency employee to falsely surrender (obstruction of justice). However, Kim Ho-jung was indicted last month on the 18th for special law violations (dangerous driving causing injury and hit-and-run injury) and violations of the Road Traffic Act (failure to take measures after an accident), as well as obstruction of justice, excluding the drunk driving charge.

Under current law, to punish drunk driving, it must be proven that the blood alcohol concentration was 0.03% or higher at the time of driving. However, Kim Ho-jung fled immediately after the accident and appeared at the police station 17 hours later. The police applied the Widmark formula but stated that because Kim Ho-jung drank multiple times at intervals, it was difficult to specify the blood alcohol level solely by back-calculation, so the drunk driving charge was not applied.

Netizens responded with comments such as, "There should be such strong punishment that no one even thinks about fleeing after an accident," "Legal reform is urgent," "It’s scary because more similar cases seem likely to occur," and "Since it showed that fleeing is okay as long as you are not caught at the scene, anyone will run away."