"I Will Pull Myself Together and Live Right" Kim Ho-joong Immediately Appeals First Trial Prison Sentence

"Questionable if guilt was felt... Circumstances are unfavorable"
Court sentences 2 years 6 months imprisonment
Kim Ho-jung's side promptly files appeal

Trot singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who is accused of drunk driving and hit-and-run, immediately appealed after being sentenced to prison in the first trial. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Trot singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who was prosecuted on charges of drunk driving and hit-and-run, immediately appealed after being sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the legal community on the 14th, Kim Ho-jung's lawyer submitted a notice of appeal on the 13th to the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26 (Judge Choi Min-hye). The appeal was filed immediately after the first trial court sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison. Earlier, on September 30, during the closing arguments, Kim Ho-jung stated, "I will strive to live a life that does not repeat the same mistakes rather than a life that is perfect ten times," and "I will pull myself together and live properly." He also submitted letters of remorse on three occasions?September 5, October 16, and October 28?pleading for leniency.

Kim Ho-jung is accused of driving under the influence on May 9 on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, crossing the center line and hitting a taxi on the opposite side of the road before fleeing the scene. Immediately after the accident, he had his manager turn himself in on his behalf. Having consistently denied drunk driving, Kim Ho-jung admitted to the crime ten days after the accident when circumstances such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage surfaced, saying, "I sincerely apologize for causing pain and disappointment to many people due to a moment of poor judgment." A representative of his agency also admitted to wrongdoing belatedly, stating that they hastily tried to destroy evidence by removing the black box storage device from the accident vehicle, saying, "We were desperate to hide the situation." Kim Ho-jung was also suspected of using the so-called "sultagi" method, deliberately drinking more alcohol to avoid punishment for drunk driving. The prosecution stated that although Kim Ho-jung was intoxicated and unable to drive normally, they could not clearly specify his blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident and therefore did not indict him on drunk driving charges.

The first trial court sentenced Kim Ho-jung to 2 years and 6 months in prison and also sentenced former Saenggak Entertainment (now Art M&C) CEO Lee Kwang-deuk, who was indicted for aiding the escape of a criminal, to 2 years in prison, and former head Jeon to 1 year and 6 months in prison. The court pointed out, "Despite causing personal and property damage by hitting the taxi driven by the victim while driving under the influence, he irresponsibly fled the scene and had his manager and others falsely turn themselves in to the investigative authorities on his behalf," adding, "This caused confusion in the initial investigation and significantly wasted police investigative resources." The court further stated, "His overall attitude, such as fleeing to a motel after the accident and purchasing beer before checking in, raises doubts about whether he felt any remorse as an adult for the wrongdoing he committed," and judged, "Despite objective evidence from CCTV footage showing him staggering under the influence of alcohol, he denied the charges with implausible excuses, and his behavior after the crime was also poor."