Kim Ho-jung "Regret the Choice That Day... I Will Pull Myself Together"
The prosecution has requested the court to sentence trot singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who was arrested and indicted on charges including 'drunk hit-and-run,' to 3 years and 6 months in prison.
On the 30th, the prosecution demanded a prison term of 3 years and 6 months at the first trial sentencing hearing for Kim Ho-jung, held under Judge Choi Min-hye of the 26th Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court. Kim faces charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury and hit-and-run causing injury), violation of the Road Traffic Act (failure to report an accident), and aiding the escape of a criminal. The sentencing date for Kim is set for November 13.
The prosecution also requested the court to sentence former Saenggak Entertainment (now Art M&C) CEO Lee Kwang-deuk (41) and director Jeon (39) to 3 years in prison each, and his manager Jang (39) to 1 year in prison.
In their sentencing opinion, the prosecution stated, "The negligence in this case is serious, and the defendants engaged in organized obstruction of justice," adding, "We took into account the fact that this caused public outrage."
In his final statement, Kim said, "I am sorry and remorseful to the victim teacher. Now that I have come this far, I regret my choices that day even more," and appealed for leniency, saying, "I will try to live a life where I do not repeat the same mistakes rather than a life where I do well ten times. I will pull myself together and live properly."
Kim is accused of drinking and driving around 11:44 p.m. on May 9 on Apgujeong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, crossing the center line and colliding with a taxi on the opposite lane before fleeing the scene. He is also charged with having his manager Jang falsely surrender on his behalf immediately after the accident.
Kim initially denied drunk driving but admitted to the crime ten days after the accident. The police referred Kim to the prosecution on charges including drunk driving, but the charge was excluded at the indictment stage. The prosecution judged that it was difficult to specify the blood alcohol level solely by back-calculation, considering that Kim drank alcohol multiple times over a period.
Meanwhile, during the trial, a hearing on Kim's bail request was also held. Kim's defense attorney requested, "The defendant has been suffering from ankle pain for a long time, which has worsened to an unbearable level," and added, "Since this is his first offense and there is no risk of evidence tampering or flight, we ask that the bail request be granted." The prosecution opposed, arguing, "There is a risk of flight," and requested that the bail application be dismissed.
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