Singer Kim Ho-jung released on parole — along with 1,627 others on the same day

Singer Kim Ho-jung walks out of Somang Prison in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday after being granted parole. [Yonhap]

Singer Kim Ho-jung, who was serving a prison sentence on charges of drunk-driving hit-and-run, was released on parole Monday amid a sharp rise in the number of inmates granted early release compared with a year ago — a trend driven by the government's push to ease severe overcrowding in correctional facilities.

According to legal sources, the Ministry of Justice's Parole Review Committee screened 2,262 inmates last month and approved 1,627 of them for parole. Kim was among those released Monday.

The figure is the highest monthly parole count since 2021 and represents a 72 percent increase from the same month last year, when 944 inmates were paroled.

The surge in paroles reflects a correctional system that has reached a saturation point. Occupancy rates at correctional facilities nationwide exceed 120 percent — meaning a room designed for 10 holds more than 12. The overcrowding goes beyond a simple space shortage: it has increased the management burden on prison officers and fueled tensions among inmates, who face mounting stress from the cramped conditions.

The Constitutional Court ruled in 2016 that extreme overcrowding in correctional facilities was unconstitutional, and parole grants have expanded steadily since then.

In response, the Ministry of Justice announced last year that it would increase monthly paroles by 30 percent in 2026 compared with 2025, when 1,032 inmates were paroled per month — setting a target of 1,340 per month. That figure represents a 69 percent increase from 2023, when the monthly average stood at 794.

The government is focusing its expansion on elderly inmates and those with medical conditions who pose a low risk of reoffending, as well as foreign nationals subject to deportation with no prospect of remaining in the country. It has also lowered the threshold for parole eligibility from 70 percent of a sentence served to 65 percent.

Legal reporters wearing prison uniforms experience a day in the life of an inmate during an on-site inspection of a correctional facility conducted in April. [Ministry of Justice]

Public reaction to Kim's parole has been largely hostile. "Even if he's out, he shouldn't be allowed back into the music industry," one online commenter wrote. "The fans who cover for a criminal like that and keep listening to his music are the real problem," another said.

The cold public sentiment stems from the nature of Kim's offenses, which observers say went far beyond a simple drunk-driving hit-and-run. He and his agency are accused of systematically deceiving investigators to cover up the crime, and Kim also subjected a junior employee to gapjil — the abuse of power by a superior.

Kim was driving drunk in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on May 9, 2024, when he collided with an oncoming taxi and fled the scene. The accident itself was relatively minor.

The more serious misconduct came in the cover-up. Kim flatly denied being drunk and consumed additional alcohol after the accident in an attempt to manipulate the timeline of his drinking — a tactic known as "sul tagi" ("stroke drinking") intended to confuse investigators about when he had been drinking. Once his methods became public, a string of copycat incidents followed, with offenders apparently fleeing the scene and drinking afterward.

Kim also pressured a junior employee to falsely turn himself in to police, claiming he had been the one driving. One employee, acting on instructions from the agency, appeared before investigators wearing Kim's clothes and submitted a false confession. The agency went further, removing the memory chip from the dashcam in Kim's vehicle to destroy evidence.

paq@heraldcorp.com