Trot singer Kim Ho Joong has been involved in a suspected DUI (Driving Under the Influence) incident, sparking reactions from netizens.

On May 15, KBS released an exclusive report detailing Kim Ho Joong's involvement in a DUI incident. According to sources, the singer's car was claimed to have collided with a taxi driver on May 9. However, the singer caught backlash for using his manager as a scapegoat.

Think Entertainment shared:

"Kim Ho Joong had a car accident with a taxi on the evening of the 9th. When the accident happened, Kim Ho Joong parked his car in an alley and called his manager, while the taxi driver called the police.

Later, when the manager found out about the situation, he went to the police station and confessed that he was the one driving. Kim Ho Joong then went to the police station and turned himself in, as well as went through an investigation and a breathalyzer test.

The results showed that there were no signs of alcohol in his system. We are currently waiting for the results of the accident. At the time of the incident, Kim Ho Joong felt embarrassed and did not properly succeed with the post-mortem process.

We bow our heads and apologize for causing a social scandal. The agency and Kim Ho Joong promise to do their best in dealing with the incident."

KBS also disclosed that during the investigation, CCTV footage was acquired by police authorities, who also applied a search and seizure warrant to find the black box memory card of Kim Ho Hoong's car.

On the 15th, Kim Ho Joong's agency released a brief statement, "Mr. Kim went to an entertainment bar, but did not drink alcohol, and it was an agency representative who instructed the manager to appear on his behalf, not Mr. Kim himself."

Korean news outlet News1 also released a report sharing the side of Think Entertainment's CEO Lee Kwang Deuk, who attempted to diffuse the situation.

"Kim Ho Joong stopped by the entertainment bar to say hello and some of my associates. On that day, he had an upcoming concert in Goyang, so he was the first to say, 'I won't drink alcohol.' Once again, I repeat that Kim Ho Joong did not drink alcohol.

After greeting us, he was the first to go home and he drove his car, but had an accident due to inexperience in driving. At that time, Kim Ho Joong had a panic attack and made wrong decisions.

It was me, not Kim Ho Joong, who made the request. After hearing about what had happened, I was afraid that if it became known that the person involved was Kim Ho Joong, it would cause controversy.

So, I asked Manager A to put on Mr. Kim's clothes and go to the police to deal with the situation. On my end, this is considered as being overprotective, as his CEO and close friend. I regret the decisions made.

The part where I asked him to appear on his behalf and the removed memory card was explained through the transcript. Other matters are still under investigation, and everyone is working hard. The answers in the interview are like in the police investigation and the transcript have been handed to the police."

Here's how netizens reacted to the incident:

• "I think it's drunk driving. You made a lot of money, so why are you calling someone else to be a criminal?"
• "Only your own life is important and other people's lives are not important?"
• "Why are you talking about protecting artists like this?"

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by Israel Monte