Singer Kim Ho-joong Denied Christmas Parole Amid DUI Hit-and-Run Conviction

Singer Kim Ho-joong, currently serving a prison sentence for a DUI hit-and-run, has been excluded from the 'Christmas Special Pardon' list.

According to legal sources on the 17th, the Ministry of Justice's Parole Review Committee held a meeting to assess Kim Ho-joong's eligibility for parole and concluded that he was 'ineligible.' As a result, Kim will not be among those released from correctional facilities nationwide at 10 a.m. on December 24th as part of the Christmas parole.

Under current criminal law, inmates serving fixed-term sentences are automatically considered for parole review after serving one-third of their sentence. Although Kim met this requirement, the committee deemed his return to society premature due to the severity of his crime.

The committee's decisions are categorized into eligible, ineligible, or deferred. If deemed eligible, the Minister of Justice's approval is required for release. However, an ineligible decision results in exclusion from the following month's review.

Kim Ho-joong was involved in a DUI incident on May 9th last year at 11:44 p.m. in Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. He crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming taxi before fleeing the scene. He was later charged with attempting to cover up the crime by persuading his manager to falsely confess (under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for dangerous driving causing injury).

Initially, Kim vehemently denied the DUI allegations but confessed to the crime ten days later. The first trial court sentenced him to two years and six months in prison. Kim's side submitted a non-punishment request during the appeal process and chose not to appeal further, finalizing the sentence.

Reported by Min-kyung Lee, Ten Asia, 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr