Kim Ho-joong is facing allegations of fleeing after being involved in a collision with an oncoming taxi while changing lanes around 11:40 p.m. on the 9th in Sinsa-dong, Seoul. After the accident, Kim Ho-joong's manager visited the police station and confessed he was driving Kim Ho-joong's vehicle, but 17 hours later, during a police investigation, Kim Ho-joong admitted to being the one driving after intense questioning.
As a result, suspicions arose that Kim Ho-joong fled the scene due to drunk driving. In response, the head of Kim Ho-joong's agency, Lee Kwang-deuk, noted on the 16th that Kim Ho-joong absolutely did not drink as he was preparing for a concert in Goyang. Kim Ho-joong had left home first, and after returning home, an accident occurred due to his driving skills while using his personal vehicle, and it seems he made a poor judgment due to severe panic at the time of the accident.
Regarding the manager who confessed on his behalf, he said, "Another manager who arrived at the scene first removed the memory card based on his own judgment. I asked the manager who is known to have confessed to change his clothes as Kim Ho-joong and take care of things instead," emphasizing, "All of this happened because I, as Kim Ho-joong's representative and cousin, tried to overly protect Kim Ho-joong."
However, many of the explanations were false. The police determined that before causing the accident on the 9th in the afternoon, Kim Ho-joong visited a restaurant in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, and had a meal with alcohol along with his party before visiting a bar. Consequently, the police are expanding their investigation to include charges of hit-and-run, destruction of evidence, aiding a fugitive, and drunk driving.
Nevertheless, Kim Ho-joong proceeded with the nationwide tour "Tvarotti Classic Arena Tour 2024" scheduled for the 18th-19th in Changwon, Gyeongnam. He appeared before the public for the first time after the controversy and said, "The first word that comes to mind is 'regret.' All truths will be revealed," and added, "I am sorry and apologize for this incident. It seems it will become an unresolved assignment. There is Kim Ho-joong outside and Kim Ho-joong on stage, and I will show you Kim Ho-joong on stage. I will take all the guilt and wounds myself," which drew criticism.
He also left a message on the fan cafe. On the 19th, Kim Ho-joong stated, "I apologize. This is Kim Ho-joong. I want to sincerely apologize to many people for the pain and disappointment caused by my moment of poor judgment. I did drink and drive. I deeply regret and reflect on it, and will sincerely cooperate with the police investigation. Once again, I bow my head and apologize," and finally confessed to the drunk driving.
In particular, he wrote, "I sincerely apologize for causing great harm to the pride of our Aris family," and added, "What does it matter if a sinful person speaks too long? After the investigation is over and all results come out, I will return home. It seems the only way to not betray the dreams of our family is to live diligently," which sparked public outrage.
Twelve days after the accident, on the 21st, Kim Ho-joong appeared at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul to undergo questioning. The police investigation concluded after about three hours around 5 p.m., but it was not until around 10:40 p.m. that Kim Ho-joong stood before the waiting reporters, suggesting a reluctance to face the cameras.
Kim Ho-joong, wearing a black hat pulled down low, left the police station saying, "I have cooperated well with the investigation and will faithfully attend to any remaining investigations." When asked about his additional feelings, he replied, "What does a sinner need to say?" and when bombarded with further questions from reporters, he quickly responded, "I'm sorry" before hastily leaving the scene.
Moreover, his legal representative emphasized, "We have angered the public with a moment of falsehood, and now we admit it, asking for forgiveness. I hope to ease the anger of the people," and added, "Rather than concerns about arrest, we should not anger the people with more lies based on our conscience."
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]