Trot Singer Kim Ho-joong Released on Parole After 'Drunk Hit-and-Run'

[Anchor]

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong, who had been serving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a drunk hit-and-run accident, was released this morning (June 30). Having passed the parole review, he has returned to society five months earlier than his original scheduled release date.

Reporter Shin Yong-il has the story.

[Reporter]

Singer Kim Ho-joong, wearing a black mask and a suit, walks out with a group of released inmates and bows to an official at the scene.

Kim, who had been serving time after being sentenced for drunk driving and fleeing the scene, was released at 10:00 a.m. today.

Having recently passed the Ministry of Justice's parole review, he was released five months ahead of his original full-term release date, which was scheduled for this coming November.

Dozens of fans were gathered at the prison entrance, but Kim avoided the press and left the facility by car.

In May 2024, Kim drove his vehicle while intoxicated in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, crossed the center line, struck a taxi in the opposite lane, and fled the scene.

He subsequently had his manager falsely turn himself in and engaged in what is known as "drinking to obscure," where he consumed more alcohol after fleeing the scene to make it difficult to measure his blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident. He only admitted to drunk driving ten days after the incident, sparking public outrage.

Ultimately, because it was difficult to determine his exact blood alcohol level at the time of the crime through back-calculation alone, the drunk driving charge was excluded from the indictment. Kim was tried on charges including dangerous driving resulting in injury and fleeing the scene, and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in both the first and second trials. He later withdrew his appeal to the Supreme Court, finalizing his sentence.

Kim, who will be under probation while being able to engage in his livelihood for the remainder of his sentence, caused controversy in April while incarcerated when he posted a handwritten letter on his fan cafe expressing remorse and stating, "I will stand up and sing again," effectively hinting at an early return to his career.

In response, Kim's agency stated that he would focus on rehabilitation treatment for the time being and that there are no plans for activities such as performances.

Reported by Yang Hyun-cheol | Video by Lee Sang-min | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung

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