‘Drunk Driving Hit-and-Run Charge’ Kim Ho-jung First Trial Verdict Today... Prosecution Seeks 3 Years 6 Months Prison Sentence

The first trial verdict for trot singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who has been indicted on charges of 'drunk hit-and-run,' will be announced on the 13th.

Singer Kim Ho-jung accused of drunk hit-and-run. Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, Judge Choi Min-hye of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26 will conduct the sentencing hearing for Kim, who is accused of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury and hit-and-run causing injury), the Road Traffic Act (failure to stop after an accident), and aiding a criminal.

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, colliding with a taxi on the opposite side of the road, and fleeing the scene. He is also accused of having his manager 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 applied drunk driving charges and referred Kim to the prosecution, but these charges were excluded at the indictment stage. The prosecution judged that it was difficult to specify the blood alcohol level based solely on retroactive calculation, considering that Kim drank alcohol several times at intervals.

At the sentencing hearing in September, the prosecution requested the court to sentence Kim to three years and six months in prison, stating, "Kim caused the accident by crossing the center line while intoxicated and then engaged in organized obstruction of justice," and "considering the public outrage caused."

In his final statement, Kim said, "I am sorry to the victim and will reflect on my actions. Now that I have come to this point, I regret my choices that day even more," adding, "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." Before the sentencing, Kim also submitted his third letter of apology to the court on the 28th of last month.