SEOUL, Popera star Kim Ho-joong was indicted with physical detention Tuesday on charges of ramming into a taxi in Seoul and fleeing the scene.
Kim was arrested in late May for allegedly crashing into a stationary taxi in the opposite lane in Seoul’s southern district of Gangnam on the night of May 9 while driving drunk.
He then allegedly left the scene without taking post-accident measures.
The popera singer, who rose to stardom after appearing on the audition show “Mr. Trot,” came under public fury after it was reported that his manager initially lied to the police that he was behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
Kim appeared before the police for initial questioning 17 hours after the accident, apparently to evade a blood alcohol test.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said Kim was indicted on charges including reckless driving resulting in injuries, flight resulting in injuries and taking no post-accident measures.
Drunken driving charges were, however, excluded as police conclud
ed that his blood alcohol level might have been high enough to warrant the suspension of his driver’s license, but it was impossible to determine the exact alcohol level through deduction.
Along with Kim, Lee Kwang-deuk, the head of Kim’s management agency, and his manager were also indicted on charges of instigating Kim’s flight from the accident site and having the manager falsely turn himself in for the accident.
Source: Yonhap News Agency