'Drunk hit-and-run' Kim Ho-joong, parole D-1.. "Will leave prison without saying goodbye, heading straight to car" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Singer Kim Ho-joong (35), currently serving a sentence for drunk driving and hit-and-run, will be granted parole on the 30th.

According to the entertainment industry on the 29th, Kim Ho-joong is scheduled to be released from Somang Correctional Institution in Yeojoo, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 30th. Originally sentenced to two years and six months in the first and second trials, he was expected to be released in November, but his release date was advanced by approximately five months after passing the parole review by the Ministry of Justice.

Previously, Kim Ho-joong was considered for parole review in December last year as part of a Christmas special, but was deemed ineligible and continued his incarceration. However, he recently passed the parole review and will be released on parole with five months remaining on his sentence.

Parole is typically granted after serving at least one-third of the sentence, with comprehensive consideration given to the inmate's behavior during incarceration and the risk of reoffending. Additionally, according to the Ministry of Justice's parole guidelines, inmates who have served more than 60% of their sentence become eligible for preliminary review.

Fans are expected to gather at the scene of his release today to cheer for Kim Ho-joong's return.

However, it has been reported that Kim Ho-joong plans to leave the correctional facility without any separate farewell. Somang Correctional Institution is reportedly equipped to allow inmates to be released by vehicle. Multiple sources familiar with the situation told StarNews, "He will leave the prison immediately by car that entered the facility and exit the scene," adding, "Unlike other correctional facilities, Somang allows inmates to be transported out by vehicle."

Meanwhile, on May 9, 2024, Kim Ho-joong was driving under the influence of alcohol and collided with a taxi coming from the opposite direction after crossing the center line on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Following the accident, it was revealed that Kim Ho-joong and his managers attempted to cover up the drunk driving incident by swapping drivers and removing the black box memory card, sparking public outrage.

Immediately after the accident, Kim Ho-joong and his agency denied any alcohol consumption, but on May 19, 2024, ten days after the incident, Kim Ho-joong admitted through a statement that he had indeed driven under the influence.

The first-instance court, in November 2024, deemed that a heavy sentence was unavoidable for Kim Ho-joong, who was charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (Dangerous Driving Causing Injury), and sentenced him to two years and six months in prison. Kim Ho-joong appealed the verdict, but the original ruling was upheld in the second trial. He subsequently abandoned his appeal to the Supreme Court and began serving his sentence.

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*This content was translated by AI.