Kim Ho-joong's appeal for a drunk hit-and-run begins today (12th)...Should I overturn my prison sentence
Feb 12, 2025
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On the 12th, the first trial date for Kim Ho-joong, who was indicted on charges of violating the law on the aggravated punishment of certain crimes (hazardous driving injuries, escape injuries), violation of the Road Traffic Act (not taken after the accident), and criminal escape teachers will be held at the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 5-3 (Chief Judge Kim Ji-sun, So Byung-jin and Kim Yong-joong).
Kim Ho-joong is accused of driving his car drunk on the road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:40 p.m. on May 9 last year, when he crossed the central line and hit a taxi on the opposite road. Kim Ho-joong is also accused of running away immediately after the accident and urging his manager, Jang, to make false embroidery.
However, since Kim Ho-joong drank several times with a time difference and was investigated by the police 17 hours after the accident, it was difficult to specify the drinking level only by the reverse calculation method, and the charge of drunk driving was excluded.
In November last year, the first trial court sentenced Kim Ho-joong to two and a half years in prison. Lee Kwang-deuk, former CEO of Thinking Entertainment and former head of the division, who attempted to conceal the crime by ordering the manager to make false embroidery instead of Kim Ho-joong and removing the black box memory card of the accident vehicle, were sentenced to two years in prison and a year and a half, respectively.
The court said, `Kim Ho-joong ran away irresponsibly even though he shocked a taxi while driving under the influence of alcohol, causing personal and physical damage. By having the manager falsely turn himself in to the investigative agency instead, it caused confusion in the initial investigation and wasted considerable amount of police investigation. He urged others to deal with his crimes on his behalf and bought beer after leaving fictional conversations in preparation for the investigation.
It is questionable whether he/she had any guilt for the wrongdoings he/she has committed. The situation is bad after the crime, such as denying it with an excuse that is difficult to understand even though it seems to be stumbling due to the influence of alcohol on CCTV, which is objective evidence.
However, it was judged as a favorable reason for sentencing that Kim Ho-joong acknowledged his responsibility by submitting a letter of apology and showed remorse by paying 60 million won to the victim and agreeing to it.
In response, Kim Ho-joong and the prosecution appealed for unfair sentencing. Kim Ho-joong has consistently submitted letters of apology, and his story of secretly donating and volunteering in society before he was arrested was belatedly revealed. In recognition of this, attention is being paid to whether the prison sentence can be overturned in the second trial.
silk781220@sportschosun.com
