Singer Kim Ho-joong was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the second trial for the 'hit-and-run charge,' just like in the first trial.
The 5-3 Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Director General Judges Kim Ji-sun, So Byeong-jin, Kim Yong-jung) dismissed both the prosecution and Kim's appeals in the ruling of the appeals trial on the 25th, where Kim was indicted and detained for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Certain Crimes (causing bodily harm through dangerous driving and fleeing after an accident), failing to take action after an accident as per the Road Traffic Act, and aiding in the evasion of a criminal.
Kim, who is being held at the Seoul Detention Center, appeared in court wearing a blue prison uniform on this day. He remained silent with his head bowed throughout the proceedings.
The court stated, "Based on the video footage of Kim's behavior before and after drinking, the driving videos, the results of the urine test, the National Forensic Service's report on his walking condition, and the phone records of the defendants during and after the incident, it appears that the amount of alcohol Kim ingested on that day was considerable," adding, "It cannot simply be seen as an accident caused by manipulating a mobile phone, and it is recognized that the accident occurred due to diminished judgment and attention from drinking."
They further noted, "The nature of Kim's traffic accident and fleeing is poor, and the circumstances following the crime are also not good."
Earlier, Kim was arrested and indicted for fleeing after causing an accident on May 9 of last year when he drove under the influence and collided with a taxi on the opposite side of the road after crossing the center line in the Apgujeong-dong area of Gangnam, Seoul. At that time, allegations arose that his manager falsely confessed in his stead, suggesting a 'switching of drivers.' Kim initially denied driving under the influence immediately after the accident but acknowledged the crime 10 days later. However, the prosecution excluded the drunk driving charges at the indictment stage due to difficulties in confirming the blood alcohol content.
The first trial sentenced Kim to 2 years and 6 months in prison last November. The first trial court stated, "Despite causing harm to the victim taxi, he irresponsibly fled the scene, and in addition, colluded with other defendants to have his manager falsely surrender to the investigation agency, causing confusion in the initial investigation and significantly wasting police resources."
Both Kim's side and the prosecution appealed against the first trial. The prosecution requested a sentence of 3 years and 6 months for Kim in the second trial, just like in the first trial.