Trot singer Kim Ho Joong, who is facing criticism for a hit-and-run drunk driving incident, has suddenly made his fan page private.
Kim Ho Joong is accused of fleeing after colliding with an oncoming taxi while changing lanes near Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 11:40 PM on May 9.
After the accident, Kim Ho Joong's manager went to the police station and falsely confessed to driving the car. This led to suspicions that the agency was attempting to cover up the drunk driving incident.
Despite the controversy, fans continued to show unwavering trust and support for Kim Ho Joong. Posts claiming his innocence and messages of encouragement flooded the fan cafe website. Buoyed by this support, Kim Ho Joong went ahead with his solo concert on May 18-19 in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do.
However, on the night of the 19, after the concert, Kim Ho Joong admitted to the drunk driving incident. It was also revealed that the agency’s CEO had urged the manager to make the false confession, and the head of the agency had even swallowed the memory card from Kim Ho Joong's car's black box (dashcam) to hide evidence, indicating a systematic cover-up.
As the scandal and deceit continued, some fans began to distance themselves from Kim Ho Joong. The number of fan cafe members, which was around 150,000 before the incident, dropped to 140,000, with increasing calls among fans for accountability and transparency.
Ultimately, on May 22, Kim Ho Joong’s official fan site 'Tvarotti' was made private, accessible only to existing members. A notice from the administrator was posted, instructing members not to write any new posts.
Despite these developments, Kim Ho Joong announced plans to proceed with his concert on May 23-24.
His agency, Think Entertainment, confirmed that the police had requested an arrest warrant but stated, "We still plan to proceed with the scheduled performance." They added, "We do not know the outcome of the arrest warrant request, but the concert is a promise to the fans."
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