On May 14, it was revealed that popular trot singer, Kim Ho-joong, is under investigation by the Seoul Gangnam Police for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident.
Popular Trot singer Kim Ho-joong is presently under police investigation for suspected involvement in a hit-and-run incident.
On May 14, it was revealed that popular trot singer, Kim Ho-joong, is under investigation by the Seoul Gangnam Police for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident.
CCTV footage from JTBC showed a white luxury SUV (Bentley Bentayga) crashing into a parked taxi on the opposite side while driving straight on a two-lane road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, around 11:40 PM on May 9. The SUV seemed to have stopped for a moment before driving away from the scene.
After the accident, a representative, Mr. A, from the singer’s company went to the police station and admitted to driving Kim Ho-joong’s vehicle. However, initially denying it, after facing pressure from the police, the singer himself admitted to being the one behind the wheel. There were suspicions of drunk driving, but a breathalyser test confirmed that he was not under the influence at the time of the accident.
Furthermore, as reported by Channel A, the dashcam inside the 33-year-old singer’s vehicle was found to be missing a memory card, resulting in the absence of recorded footage.
Meanwhile, his agency, Thought Entertainment, released a statement regarding the unfortunate incident. “Kim Ho-joong was involved in a traffic accident with a taxi on the evening of the 9th. After the accident, he parked the car in an alley, made a call with his manager, and during that time, the taxi driver reported the incident to the police,” further adding, “After learning about the situation, the manager decided to take responsibility and went to the police station to confess that he was the one driving. Upon learning of this fact, Kim Ho-joong personally went to the police station to undergo investigation and alcohol testing.”
After the agency released the statement, netizens were outraged. One said, “Shameless.” Another questioned, “What are you doing protecting the hit-and-run perpetrator?” A third said, “Before protecting the artist, follow the law.”
Kim Ho-joong has been on a national tour since April. Despite the incident, he performed in Gyeonggi on May 11-12, and has many other upcoming performances scheduled, including the World Union Orchestra Super Classic. His agency has also confirmed that these shows will he held without any changes to the schedule.
The Seoul Gangnam Police is continuing their investigation into the alleged hit-and-run case, while the singer awaits the outcome of the accident investigation.