Song Younggil's Connection with Kim Hojoong During Their Time at Seoul Detention Center
"Mistakes Cannot Be Erased... But I Want to Embrace Him"
Song Younggil, CEO of Sonamudang, has made public a handwritten letter he received from trot singer Kim Hojung, who is currently serving time for drunk driving and hit-and-run charges.
On October 3, Song posted on his Facebook page under the title "The Chuseok holiday begins. Here is news about singer Kim Hojung," saying, "The hardest part of prison life is the holidays." He continued, "With the holiday lasting nearly ten days, I find myself thinking even more about singer Kim Hojung, who has been detained for over a year and four months."
He explained, "While I was held at the Seoul Detention Center, I happened to be on the same floor as Kim Hojung. Although our circumstances were different, the conversations and small gestures we shared in that cramped space during our most difficult times were a great comfort to both of us."
Song also revealed that he and his spouse recently visited Kim at Yeoju Somang Correctional Institution. He said, "Kim Hojung's face looked especially clear," and added, "Quoting Mencius, I encouraged him by saying, 'I hope this ordeal allows Kim Hojung to experience deeper pain and love, and that it becomes a period of training that will help him stand as a world-class singer.'"
He continued, "A few days later, Kim Hojung sent me a heartfelt handwritten letter. He confessed that the weight of his wrongdoing pressed heavily on his heart, but even in that darkness, he showed a strong will to rise again. In his words, 'A small choice can bring about a big change,' he expressed both reflection and a determination for a new beginning. He also wrote that our brief visit was a light that helped him endure a time that felt like a long winter, expressing his gratitude to me and my wife."
In Kim's letter, he wrote, "I gained the courage to understand why I need to stand on stage and sing again." He also said, "Everything is my fault," and, "I will keep refining myself so that Kim Hojung will not stumble again in the same place because of the same mistake."
Song concluded, "Mistakes cannot be erased, but I believe that a sincere heart for reflection and a new beginning deserves respect. I want to embrace even the smallest tremor warmly, without turning away from it."
Fleeing the Scene After Drunk Driving, Pushing Ahead with Concerts Amid Controversy
Singer Kim Hojung, who is accused of drunk hit-and-run, is appearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 24th for a warrant hearing (pre-arrest suspect interrogation). Photo by Jo Yongjun
In April, Kim was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on appeal for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (causing injury by dangerous driving), upholding the original verdict. Kim appealed to the Supreme Court, but eventually withdrew his appeal, making the sentence final.
In May last year, he was arrested and indicted for drinking alcohol and driving in Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, crossing the center line, colliding with a taxi on the opposite side of the road, fleeing the scene, and having his manager, Jang, turn himself in on his behalf (violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, including causing injury by dangerous driving).
Initially, he denied the drunk driving charges, but admitted to the crime ten days after the accident. During this process, it was found that about 50 minutes after the accident, he changed clothes with Jang, got into a car driven by another manager, and fled to a motel in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, where he bought canned beer at a nearby convenience store with his companions. This led to suspicions that he deliberately drank more to evade an accurate alcohol test. He also faced public criticism for pushing ahead with scheduled concerts while under police investigation.
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