'Drinking hit-and-run'Kim Ho-joong eventually admits all charges'Agreement with Victim'
Aug 19, 2024
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On the 19th, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Chamber 26 (Judge Choi Min-hye) held a second trial of Kim Ho-joong, who was handed over to trial on charges of violating the law on the aggravated punishment of certain crimes (hazardous driving injuries) and a criminal escapist. Along with Kim Ho-joong, the head of the agency, the head of the headquarters, and the manager, who were indicted on charges of criminal escape and destruction of evidence, went on trial together and were tried.
On the same day, Kim Ho-joong's lawyer said "We admit all of Kim Ho-joong's charges."
The second hearing also drew dozens of fans. The final hearing on Kim Ho-joong and three others is expected to be held on March 30. The sentence is expected to proceed as early as October after the final hearing.
Earlier, at the first hearing held on the 10th of last month, Kim Ho-joong's lawyer said that he would clarify his position on the prosecution on the next day because he had not been able to read the case records. At that time, three people, including Kim Ho-joong, CEO of his agency, Thinking Entertainment Lee Kwang-deuk, who was indicted on charges of fleeing the crime, destruction of evidence, former head of the headquarters, and manager Jang, all admitted to the charges.
Ahead of the second hearing, Lee and former head of the headquarters submitted a letter of apology, but Kim Ho-joong did not. Instead, many fans' petitions against Kim Ho-joong continued, just like the first trial.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho-joong is accused of drinking and driving on the road in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, at around 11:40 p.m. on May 9, crashing into a taxi, and making his manager turn himself in instead. He admitted to drinking 10 days later, but there was no record because he attended the police late after fleeing, and he did not apply the drunk driving charge because he thought it was difficult to specify the drinking level only by reverse calculation over time.
Lee is accused of ordering his manager to give false information to hide Kim Ho-joong's accident. Jeon is accused of removing the vehicle's black box memory card in the accident. Kim Ho-joong has agreed with the taxi driver, the victim of the accident, ahead of the first trial.
Kim Ho Joong drinking?After the R-Sony incident, a number of amendments to the Road Traffic Act, known as the Kim Ho-joong Prevention Act, were proposed as similar cases to Kim Ho-joong's case, such as drinking alcohol after drunk driving and changing drivers. However, there was another controversy due to the anti-barolism of some diehard fans.
Ahead of the trial, the court extended the arrest period for Kim Ho-joong by two months. Kim Ho-joong, who was arrested and charged on June 18 as of the first trial, was originally scheduled to expire this month, but the court decided to extend his arrest by two months.
lyn@sportschosun.com
