Singer Kim Ho-jung (33), who was serving time for a hit-and-run accident while driving under the influence, has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and could not avoid a prison term.
On the 25th, the 5-3 division of the Seoul Central District Court held a sentencing hearing for Kim Ho-jung and three others who were indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (causing injury while driving dangerously).
The court sentenced Kim Ho-jung to the same 2 years and 6 months as in the first trial. Previously, the prosecution had sought a sentence of 3 years and 6 months for Kim Ho-jung.
The court stated, "The amount of alcohol consumed by the defendant on the day of the incident appears to be considerable, and it cannot be simply viewed as an accident caused by manipulating a mobile phone," adding, "It is evident that the defendant's ability to think and make judgments was significantly impaired due to alcohol, leading to the accident."
The court continued, "In Kim Ho-jung's case, the character of the crime is poor, and the circumstances after the crime are also unfavorable," but noted, "Considering that the traffic accident was settled and that the defendant has no prior convictions or serious criminal record, it does not seem that the original sentence exceeds a reasonable range."
The court also dismissed the appeals of Kim Ho-jung's agency representative Mr. Lee, former department head Mr. Jeon, and manager Mr. Jang, maintaining the first trial's sentences of 2 years, 1 year and 6 months, and 1 year with 2 years of probation, respectively.
Earlier, during the second hearing of the appeal on the 19th of last month, Kim Ho-jung expressed, "I am sorry for causing public concern. I apologize to the victim as well. I am also sorry for wasting public resources due to my case. Spending the last four seasons here, I have reflected deeply on my mistakes. I have tried to take time for repentance," and added, "I know that this crime will never be erased from my life. I will live a different life from now on, using this incident as a catalyst."
He continued, "Everything is my fault, my mistake. I will sincerely repent," appealing for leniency. Notably, Kim Ho-jung submitted 100 letters of apology to the court before the second hearing of the appeal. It was confirmed that he submitted more than 30 additional letters of apology before this sentencing date in an attempt to reduce his sentence, but it did not influence the court's decision.
At that time, Kim Ho-jung's lawyer repeatedly emphasized that the accident was not due to drunk driving. The lawyer stated, "We do not deny the crime," but argued, "There are excessive parts in the original judgment. It cannot be concluded that Kim Ho-jung was unable to drive normally due to excessive drinking on the day of the incident."
The lawyer further stated, "Kim Ho-jung fully acknowledges his mistakes and feels responsible and remorseful. However, this incident was not an accident caused by drunk driving, but rather an incident that occurred while manipulating a mobile phone while driving. Of course, he recognizes that this is also wrong and is remorseful," adding, "He usually does not drink heavily due to managing his condition, which has been proven by forensic analysis and police investigations."
Kim Ho-jung is accused of hitting a taxi while driving under the influence on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, last May and fleeing the scene, urging his manager Mr. Jang to falsely surrender. However, since Kim Ho-jung reported to the police 17 hours after the accident, it became impossible to measure his blood alcohol concentration using the Widmark formula, leading to the exclusion of the drunk driving charge.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho-jung gained public attention by finishing 4th in the trot audition program 'Mr. Trot' aired in 2020. Through this program, he earned the nickname 'Tvaroti' and has been active in various fields such as album releases, national tours, and entertainment shows, but has effectively been expelled from the broadcasting industry due to the drunk hit-and-run incident.
