Song Young-gil, the representative of the Pine Tree Party, has made headlines by revealing a handwritten letter he received from trot singer Kim Ho-jung, who is serving time for hit-and-run charges related to drunk driving.
On the 3rd, Song posted on his Facebook with the title ‘The Chuseok holiday has begun. Here’s news about singer Kim Ho-jung.’
He wrote, “The hardest part of prison life is the holidays,” adding, “As the nearly ten-day holiday approaches, I think of singer Kim Ho-jung, who has been incarcerated for over a year and four months.”
Song, who has a connection with Kim Ho-jung as they shared a dormitory while he was detained at the Seoul Detention Center, stated, “Although our situations were different, the conversations and small gestures we shared during the most difficult times became a great comfort to each other.”
He also mentioned that he recently visited Kim at the Yeoju Correctional Institution with his spouse. Song noted, “Kim Ho-jung’s face looked particularly bright,” and encouraged him by quoting Mencius, saying, “I hope this trial allows Kim Ho-jung to experience deeper pain and love, and that it becomes a time to build his inner strength to stand as a world-class singer.”
He continued, “A few days later, Kim sent a heartfelt handwritten letter,” stating, “He confessed that his mistakes weigh heavily on his heart, but even in that darkness, he showed a strong will to rise again. The saying ‘small choices create big changes’ contained the meaning of reflection and a new beginning, and his confession that the brief visit was a light that helped him endure the long winter included gratitude towards my wife and me.”
He also mentioned that he gained courage to understand why he needs to be on stage and sing. Additionally, he vowed to continue to refine himself so that he would not stumble in the same place due to the same mistakes as Kim Ho-jung.
Kim Ho-jung was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in April for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. for Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury) in the appeals trial, the same sentence as the original ruling. He later appealed to the Supreme Court but withdrew it, confirming his sentence.
