Immediate Appeal Filed on Day of First Trial Verdict
First Hearing of Second Trial Scheduled for February 12
The second trial of trot singer Kim Ho-jung, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial on charges of hit-and-run while driving under the influence, will begin next month.
According to the legal community on the 13th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 5-3 (Chief Judge Kim Ji-sun, So Byung-jin, Kim Yong-jung) will hold the first hearing of the second trial at 10:30 a.m. on the 12th of next month regarding Kim Ho-jung's charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury), among others.
On May 9 last year, Kim Ho-jung was driving under the influence on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, when he collided with a taxi on the opposite side of the road and fled the scene. Immediately after the accident, he denied drunk driving by having his manager turn himself in on his behalf, but after CCTV footage and other circumstances surfaced, he admitted to the crime ten days after the accident. A representative of his agency also attempted to destroy evidence by removing the black box storage device from the accident vehicle but later admitted the wrongdoing.
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 he was intoxicated to the point where 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.
During the trial, Kim Ho-jung submitted letters of apology three times, pleading for leniency. However, the first trial court sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison, while former Saenggak Entertainment (now Art M&C) CEO Lee Kwang-deuk, who was charged with aiding the escape of a criminal, was sentenced to 2 years in prison, and former head Jeon received 1 year and 6 months in prison.
The court pointed out, "Despite causing personal and property damage by colliding with the taxi driven by the victim while driving under the influence, he irresponsibly fled the scene and further had his manager falsely turn himself in to the investigative authorities on his behalf," adding, "This caused confusion in the initial investigation and significantly wasted police investigative resources." It continued, "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 his wrongdoing," and judged, "Despite objective evidence from CCTV footage showing him staggering under the influence of alcohol, he denied the charges with implausible excuses, showing poor conduct after the crime." Kim Ho-jung appealed the verdict on the day of sentencing, and the prosecution also appealed, leading both sides into the second trial process.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
