![Singer Kim Ho-joong. [Newsis]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/24/news-p.v1.20251116.8ed18e2bff62490ebfa6773015875d5d_P1.jpg)
Public reaction has been divided over news that singer Kim Ho-joong, 35, who has been serving time on drunk-driving and hit-and-run charges, will be released on parole Monday.
According to Kim's agency, he passed a Ministry of Justice parole review and is set to be released Monday.
He had been deemed ineligible during a Christmas pardon parole review last December, but received final approval this time after his exemplary conduct in prison was among the factors assessed.
Kim was taken into detention on May 24, 2024, and has been serving time for two years and one month. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, with his full term set to expire in November, but the parole decision means he will be freed about five months early.
On Tuesday, the same day his parole was announced, news broke that Kim had surpassed 5 billion cumulative streams on the music platform Melon, earning him entry into its "Gold Club." Melon operates a commemorative space called the "Melon Hall of Fame" based on artists' cumulative streaming figures, and awards the "Gold Club" title to top-tier artists who have recorded between 5 billion and 10 billion streams. Kim became the sixth artist to join the ranks, following BTS, Lim Young-woong, IU, EXO and Seventeen. The achievement has been noted as an exceptional record for a solo singer rooted in trot music and classical vocals in a music market dominated by idol acts.
While the news may be welcome for Kim and his fans, the broader public reaction has been largely cold. "Even if he gets out, he should not be allowed to return to the music industry," one online commenter wrote. Another criticized fans who continue to support him: "The problem is the fans who shield a criminal like that and keep listening to his music."
Observers say the chilly public sentiment stems from the fact that Kim's offenses went far beyond a simple drunk-driving hit-and-run — he and his agency systematically deceived investigators to cover up the crime, and he committed gapjil, abusive conduct toward a subordinate, against an employee.
On May 9, 2024, Kim drove drunk in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collided with an oncoming taxi and fled the scene. The accident itself was a minor traffic incident.
The larger problem arose from his efforts to conceal the crime. Kim flatly denied being drunk and engaged in "sul tagi" — drinking additional alcohol after the incident to manipulate the apparent timing of his consumption and mislead investigators. Once his methods became known, a string of copycat incidents followed, with offenders apparently taking the approach of fleeing the scene of a drunk-driving accident and then drinking more.
Kim also committed gapjil by coercing a junior employee to falsely turn himself in and claim he had been the one driving. One employee did appear before investigators wearing Kim's clothes, on instructions from the agency, and submitted a false confession. The agency also destroyed evidence by removing the memory chip from the dashcam in Kim's vehicle.
paq@heraldcorp.com
