Ministry of Justice Parole Committee Cites Seriousness of Offense and Risk of Recidivism
Automatic Review After Serving One-Third of Sentence... Parole Denied
Singer Kim Hojung (34), who is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted of a hit-and-run drunk driving incident, was deemed ineligible for parole during a review conducted ahead of Christmas.
According to the legal community on the 17th, the Parole Review Committee under the Ministry of Justice held a review for inmates eligible for parole on this day and reportedly determined Kim to be ineligible. Inmates who were found eligible for parole will be released from 55 correctional facilities nationwide at 10 a.m. on the 24th.
According to the Criminal Act, inmates sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment can be considered for parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Kim was automatically included in the review based on relevant laws, considering his age, motive for the crime, charges, and risk of recidivism. However, he was deemed ineligible for parole, apparently due to the serious nature of his offense.
On May 9 of last year, at around 11:44 p.m., Kim was indicted and detained on charges of driving under the influence, crossing the centerline, and colliding with an oncoming taxi on Apgujeong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, before fleeing the scene. It was later revealed that he had his manager turn himself in on his behalf, leading to additional charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, including causing injury by dangerous driving.
Initially, Kim denied driving under the influence, but he admitted to the crime about ten days after the incident occurred.
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