[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong] Singer Kim Ho-joong has been granted parole and will be released later this month.
According to a Dispatch report on the 23rd, Kim recently passed the Ministry of Justice's parole review and is expected to leave the correctional facility on the 30th. It will mark his return to society about 767 days after he was detained in May 2024.
Correctional authorities said Kim had been held at the Seoul Detention Center before being transferred to Hope Penitentiary in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, in August last year, where he has served his sentence. Under the current system, inmates may become eligible for parole review after serving at least one-third of their term. The review takes into account the nature of the crime, prison conduct, correctional records, and the risk of reoffending.
Kim was not selected as a candidate in the parole review held at the end of last year, but he was later included again after being recognized for serving his sentence faithfully, according to reports.
Kim was previously indicted for driving under the influence in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in May 2024, crashing into a taxi coming from the opposite direction, and leaving the scene. He was also accused of asking a company official to turn himself in on his behalf after the accident.
He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in both the first and second trials. His original release date was set for November 24, 2026, but this parole decision will allow him to return to society about five months earlier.
After his release, Kim will remain under probation during the parole period. If there are major changes to his personal circumstances, such as a change of residence or travel abroad, he must obtain permission from the relevant authorities.
Jo Min-jeong, mj.cho@sportschosun.com
