'2 years 6 months imprisonment in the first trial' Kim Ho-jung immediately appeals... Prosecutors also file a counter-appeal

Sentenced to 2 Years and 6 Months Imprisonment in First Trial
Kim Ho-jung's Side Immediately Files Appeal
Prosecution Also Files Counter-Appeal

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong, accused of drunk hit-and-run. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong, who is accused of hit-and-run while driving under the influence, immediately appealed after being sentenced to prison in the first trial, and the prosecution also filed an appeal.

According to the legal community on the 19th, the prosecutor in charge of Kim Ho-joong's case submitted an appeal on that day. It is interpreted as an appeal against a sentence lower than the 3 years and 6 months requested by the prosecution at the sentencing hearing in September. Kim Ho-joong's defense attorney also submitted an appeal immediately after the first trial court sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison on the 13th.

Earlier, Kim Ho-joong is accused of driving under the influence on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on May 9, hitting a taxi on the opposite side of the road, and fleeing the scene. Right after the accident, he even had his manager turn himself in on his behalf. Kim Ho-joong, who had consistently denied drunk driving, admitted to the crime ten days after the accident when circumstances such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage surfaced. A representative of his agency also removed the black box storage device from the accident vehicle in an attempt to destroy evidence but later admitted the wrongdoing belatedly. Kim Ho-joong was also embroiled in suspicion of using the so-called 'sultagi' method, deliberately drinking more alcohol to avoid punishment for drunk driving. The prosecution stated that Kim Ho-joong was intoxicated to the point that normal driving was difficult, but could not clearly specify the blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident, so he was not indicted on drunk driving charges.

At the sentencing hearing on September 30, Kim Ho-joong said, "I will try to live a life that does not repeat the same mistakes rather than a life that does well ten times," and "I will pull myself together and live properly." He also submitted letters of apology three times on September 5, October 16, and October 28, pleading for leniency. However, the first trial court sentenced Kim Ho-joong to 2 years and 6 months in prison and simultaneously sentenced Lee Kwang-deuk, former CEO of Saenggak Entertainment (now Art M&C), who was indicted for aiding the escape of a criminal, to 2 years in prison, and the head of headquarters, Mr. 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 continued, "His overall attitude, such as fleeing to a motel after the accident and purchasing beer before checking in, raises doubts about whether he had any sense of guilt for the wrongdoing he committed as an adult," and judged, "Despite objective evidence from CCTV footage showing him staggering under the influence of alcohol, he made implausible excuses and denied the charges, showing poor circumstances after the crime."