Kim Ho-joong’s Fall: ‘High Possibility of a Prison Sentence Over 3 Years’
Singer Kim Ho-joong is facing the likelihood of a prison sentence of over three years due to hit-and-run charges involving drunk driving, according to legal experts. Lawyer Park Gun-ho appeared on JTBC’s ‘Newsroom’ on the 31st of last month, explaining, “There was a high possibility that the case would end with just a drunk driving charge under the Road Traffic Act, and it could have been resolved with a fine.” However, he added, “Even if the drunk driving charge is not recognized, the charges of leaving the scene of an accident and failing to take necessary measures after the accident under the Special Act make a prison sentence of over three years highly likely.”
Intense Police Investigation and Referral
On the same day, Seoul Gangnam Police Station referred Kim Ho-joong to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of causing injury by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, hit-and-run, drunk driving, and failing to take necessary measures after an accident under the Road Traffic Act, and aiding and abetting a criminal. Kim Ho-joong, emerging from the police station’s detention center, responded to the reporters’ questions with, “I’m sorry. I’ll speak after it’s over,” before limping into the transport vehicle.
Shocking Details of the Incident
Kim Ho-joong is accused of driving under the influence and colliding with a taxi on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 11:40 PM on the 9th, and then fleeing the scene. Three hours after the accident, his manager, wearing Kim Ho-joong’s clothes, falsely confessed to driving, but Kim admitted to driving himself 17 hours after the incident.
Initially, Kim Ho-joong admitted to driving but denied drinking. However, amid constant evidence of his drinking, he finally admitted to the drinking 10 days after the accident. Police, using the Widmark formula after his arrest, estimated that Kim’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident was at a license suspension level (0.03% to 0.08%) and added the charge of drunk driving.
A Career in Jeopardy, What’s Next for Kim Ho-joong?
Kim Ho-joong’s hit-and-run incident has dealt a significant blow to his career, with legal experts predicting a high possibility of a prison sentence over three years. The final outcome of the case remains to be seen.
