Trot singer Kim Ho Joong, who has been serving a prison sentence for drunk driving, a hit-and-run accident, and evidence destruction, has been granted parole and is set to return to society.
According to legal sources and Kim Ho Joong's representatives, on June 23, Kim Ho Joong recently received final approval from the Ministry of Justice's Parole Review Committee and is scheduled to be released on June 30. He was previously deemed ineligible for parole during a review conducted late last year, but was reconsidered in a subsequent review and ultimately approved.
Kim Ho Joong was convicted over a May 2024 incident in Seoul's Gangnam District, where he allegedly caused a traffic accident while driving under the influence and fled the scene without taking the required measures. He was charged with violations, including hit-and-run causing injury and dangerous driving resulting in injury under South Korea's Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, as well as violations of the Road Traffic Act. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
The case sparked widespread public outrage after authorities uncovered what prosecutors described as organized efforts to obstruct the investigation. Following the accident, Kim Ho Joong repeatedly denied driving under the influence. Approximately three hours after the crash, a staff member from his agency reportedly visited a police station wearing Kim Ho Joong's clothing and falsely claimed to be the driver, in what became known as a "driver swap" attempt.
Investigators also discovered that the vehicle's black box memory card had been removed and damaged by an agency employee, leading to allegations of coordinated evidence destruction. During the investigation, police secured key evidence, including CCTV footage, recorded phone conversations, and forensic analysis conducted by the National Forensic Service. Additional allegations emerged that Kim deliberately consumed more alcohol after the accident in an attempt to interfere with determining his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash — a tactic commonly referred to in South Korea as "alcohol topping-off."
Although Kim Ho Joong initially denied the drunk-driving allegations and proceeded with scheduled performances, he eventually admitted to the offense and issued a public apology amid mounting evidence and public pressure.
The court later approved his arrest, citing concerns over evidence tampering, while prosecutors indicted Kim Ho Joong and several agency officials accused of participating in the cover-up. In November 2024, the first trial court sentenced Kim Ho Joong to two years and six months in prison. Although he appealed the ruling, the sentence was upheld on appeal. The prison term became final after Kim Ho Joong withdrew his final appeal in May of the following year.
After initially serving his sentence at Seoul Detention Center, Kim Ho Joong was transferred in August 2025 to Somang Prison, South Korea's only privately operated correctional facility. Without parole or a special pardon, he had been expected to remain incarcerated until late 2026. With parole now approved, he will be released after serving approximately two years in custody.
Meanwhile, South Korean judicial authorities are moving to strengthen penalties against the so-called "alcohol topping-off" tactic that gained public attention following Kim Ho Joong's case. The practice involves a driver intentionally consuming additional alcohol after an accident to obstruct police efforts to accurately measure blood alcohol concentration and determine when drinking occurred.
According to legal sources on June 23, the Supreme Court's Sentencing Commission approved revisions to sentencing guidelines for traffic-related crimes during its 146th plenary session. Under the revised guidelines, a newly established offense of obstructing alcohol testing carries penalties ranging from one to five years in prison or fines between 5 million KRW (approx. 3,262 USD)and 20 million KRW (approx. 13,050 USD) .
Penalties for repeat offenders and drivers with extremely high blood alcohol concentrations will also be strengthened. Individuals who have previously received criminal punishment for drunk driving, refusing a breath test, or obstructing alcohol testing and are caught committing another drunk-driving offense within 10 years will face enhanced penalties. Drivers found with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2% or higher could face prison terms of two to six years or fines ranging from 10 million KRW (approx. 6,525 USD) to 30 million KRW (approx. 19,574 USD) under the revised standards.
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