Trot singer Kim Ho Joong (age 33), suspected of causing an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol and fleeing the scene, has been arrested in handcuffs. The organized attempt to destroy evidence, involving staff from his agency even after the incident, ultimately led to the singer's arrest.

On May 24, Judge Shin Young Hee of the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Ho Joong on charges of violating the Specific Crimes Act (hit-and-run causing injury, dangerous driving causing injury) and the Road Traffic Act (failure to take action after an accident), as well as aiding and abetting a fugitive.

Judge Shin stated, "There is concern about the destruction of evidence," as the reason for the arrest.

The court acknowledged the necessity of an arrest based on the revelation that multiple personnel from Kim Ho Joong's agency were involved in his flight and evidence destruction immediately after the "hit-and-run" incident.

Earlier this month, on May 9, Kim Ho Joong collided with a taxi on a road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, injuring the driver, then fled the scene. It was not until 17 hours after the accident, when he arrived at a hotel in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, that Kim Ho Joong finally presented himself to the police. He was still under the influence of alcohol at the time.

During this process, Lee Kwang Deuk, the representative of his agency, THINK Entertainment, intervened with a manager who attempted to falsely confess in Kim Ho Joong's place but was caught. Additionally, the company's chief, Jeon Mo, was involved in the organized crime of removing the black box memory card from the vehicle, further revealing the agency's systematic cover-up and evidence destruction. The manager changed clothes with Kim and attempted the false confession, resulting in Kim being charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive when he removed the clothes.

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