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| ▲ A file photo of popera singer Kim Ho-joong taken Sept. 21, 2023 (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) popera singer-travel ban
(LEAD) Police request travel ban for popera singer Kim Ho-joong over DUI hit-and-run
(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- Police sought a travel ban for renowned popera singer Kim Ho-joong on Monday in connection with an investigation into suspicions that he rammed into a stationary taxi and fled the scene under the influence of alcohol.
The 33-year-old singer, who rose to stardom after appearing on the audition show "Mr. Trot," is suspected of crashing into the taxi with his vehicle late on the night of May 9 in Seoul's southern Gangnam district and leaving the scene without taking after-accident measures.
Hours after the crash, Kim's manager lied to police that he was behind the wheel at the time of the accident, but Kim eventually acknowledged his responsibility the next day during police questioning.
Kim and his agency, Think Entertainment, had strongly denied allegations that Kim was drunk at the time, claiming the accident occurred due to unskilled driving. But on Sunday, 10 days after the accident, Kim admitted to driving drunk.
On Monday, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station requested a travel ban on the singer, along with the head of the entertainment agency, a company official and Kim's manager on charges of instigating the singer's flight.
Kim's manager is accused of falsely testifying to police in place of the singer, while the agency official is charged with removing the black box memory card from Kim's vehicle.
Meanwhile, the popera singer is set to continue his planned performance with the World Union Orchestra later this week, according to the concert's organizer, Dumir.
Known locally as "Tbarothi," a blend of trot music and Pavarotti, Kim said he will proceed with his concerts from Thursday to Saturday at KSPO Dome. He will be joined by soprano Aida Garifullina and around 80 musicians from top orchestras, like the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Earlier Monday, KBS, which is hosting the sold-out event, announced the cancellation of its contract with Dumir for the use of its logo and name in relation to the event.
KBS had demanded Dumir replace Kim, but Dumir effectively declined, citing the short notice and substantial penalties that would be involved in canceling Kim's appearance.
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