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| ▲ A photo of South Korean singer Kim Ho-joong, provided by Think Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- The agency head has denied the drunk driving charges of singer Kim Ho-joong (33) who is accused of causing a traffic accident last week on a Seoul Gangnam road late at night.
Lee Kwang-deuk, the representative of Kim Ho-joong's agency, Think Entertainment, released an official statement on the 16th, stating, "On the 9th, Kim Ho-joong visited an entertainment establishment with acquaintances, including myself, during a gathering." He added, "At the time, Kim Ho-joong did not consume alcohol as he had a concert in Goyang ahead."
He further explained, "After some time, Kim Ho-joong returned home first, and while driving his car after returning home, he was involved in an accident due to poor driving skills." He continued, "At the time of the accident, he seemed to make wrong judgments due to severe panic."
Kim Ho-joong is accused of colliding with a taxi on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, around 11:40 p.m. on the 9th.
It was identified that a man in his 30s, referred to as Mr. A, who is Kim's manager, came to the police station wearing the clothes Kim wore at the time of the accident and confessed to causing the accident about three hours after the accident occurred.
Kim Ho-joong, who received a police summons, attended the police station around 4:30 p.m. the next day, about 17 hours after the accident.
The representative stated that it was him who instructed Kim Ho-joong's manager, Mr. A, to surrender. He also claimed that the reason the memory card was not found in Kim's car's black box was another manager's personal judgment.
The representative asserted, "Another manager who arrived at the scene first removed the memory card based on his own judgment." He added, "I, as the agency representative, asked Mr. A, known for surrendering, to forcibly take off Kim Ho-joong's clothes and change into them, and then asked him to handle the matter on behalf of the agency."
Regarding the reason for demanding proxy attendance from the manager, he explained, "After the accident, I learned that Kim was suffering from severe panic disorder, and knowing that Kim Ho-joong did not handle the accident but instead moved the vehicle, I was too afraid that too much controversy would arise if Kim Ho-joong was identified as the party involved in the accident."
He also stated, "All of this happened because I, as Kim Ho-joong's representative and elder cousin, tried to overly protect Kim Ho-joong. Currently, all parties involved in the incident are sincerely cooperating with the investigation, and the agency will do its best for post-incident procedures."
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| ▲ A photo of South Korean singer Kim Ho-joong, provided by CJ CGV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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