Trot star additionally charged with drunk driving, cover-up

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong speaks to reporters at the Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul, Friday, as he is being taken by police to a vehicle bound for the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office. Yonhap

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong, arrested last week for a hit-and-run and reckless driving, among other charges, now faces additional charges of driving under the influence and coercing his manager into falsely turning himself in to police to cover up his crimes.

This could mean a heavier sentence for the 33-year-old star ― possibly several years behind bars.

In his first media appearance at the Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul on Friday after his arrest a week ago, Kim apologized as he was being taken by police to a vehicle bound for the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office. He is expected to be indicted once prosecutors complete their review of his case.

After additional investigations over the past week, police concluded Kim was drunk ― to the level that his driver's license should be revoked ― when his car rammed into a stationary taxi in the opposite lane in southern Seoul on May 9 before he fled the scene.

To verify that he was intoxicated that night, police questioned the people who dined with him earlier that day and estimated his blood alcohol concentration at the time by using the Widmark formula, a method used for such calculation based on the amount of alcohol consumed prior to the sampling and the person's weight.

Police also concluded that Kim attempted to cover up his crime by telling his manager, surnamed Jang, to turn himself in to police on the singer's behalf. Two others at Think Entertainment, Kim's agency, were also arrested for their alleged roles in the crime.

Kim rose to fame after appearing on the 2020 audition show "Mr. Trot," in which he made it to the top four list.