Singer Kim Ho-jung, who is serving time for causing a hit-and-run while driving under the influence, was found "ineligible" in a Christmas parole review.
According to legal sources on the 17th, the Parole Review Committee under the Ministry of Justice reviewed whether inmates eligible for parole met the criteria that day. Kim Ho-jung became subject to a parole review under the relevant law, which automatically places inmates on the review list when certain conditions are met, considering age, motive, offense, and risk of reoffending. However, it is known the panel deemed Kim ineligible, taking into account the seriousness of the offense, among other factors.
Under the Criminal Act, a person sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment can be paroled after one-third of the term has passed. Under the Parole Review Committee's operating guidelines, the committee may determine eligibility, ineligibility, or deferment for those considered for parole. If found eligible, the inmate is paroled after the justice minister's final approval; if found ineligible, the inmate is excluded from the next parole review.
Kim Ho-jung was indicted after causing an accident last May in Gangnam District, Seoul, hitting a taxi on the opposite side of the road and fleeing. Denying drunk driving at first, Kim admitted to the crime 10 days after the crash. Kim filed an appeal against the sentence of two years and six months in prison but later withdrew it.