Singer Kim Ho-jung, who was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for a drunk driving hit-and-run accident, has been transferred to a private prison.
On the 19th, Sports Kyunghyang reported that Kim Ho-jung entered Somang Prison located in Buknae-myeon, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province the previous day. Until recently, Kim Ho-jung had been serving his sentence at the Seoul Detention Center.
Somang Prison, where Kim Ho-jung has been admitted, is the first and only private prison in South Korea. It is reported that Kim Ho-jung, who was originally a Christian, entered Somang Prison at the suggestion of those around him.
Previously, Kim Ho-jung was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing injury) and was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison by the court in April. He has been serving his sentence at the Seoul Detention Center since then.
Kim Ho-jung is accused of driving under the influence last May in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where he crashed into a taxi on the opposite road and fled, urging his manager, Mr. Jang, to falsely surrender. However, since Kim Ho-jung reported to the police 17 hours after the incident, it was not possible to measure his blood alcohol concentration using the Widmark formula, and the drunk driving charge was excluded.
In the first trial, he received a sentence of 2 years and 6 months, but both the prosecution and Kim Ho-jung's side appealed, leading to a second trial. Here, the prosecution sought a sentence of 3 years and 6 months for Kim Ho-jung, the same as in the first trial, but it was not accepted.
At the appeal trial, Kim Ho-jung stated, "I apologize for causing public concern. I also apologize to the victim. I regret that my case has wasted public resources. Spending the last four seasons here, I have reflected deeply on my mistakes. I have tried to take time for reflection," and added, "I know 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 reflect on this," and pleaded for leniency.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho-jung gained public attention by finishing 4th in the trot audition show '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 he has effectively been expelled from the broadcasting industry due to the drunk hit-and-run incident.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
