South Korean renowned Trot singer Kim Ha-jung gained high popularity from participating in the talent show “Mr. Trot.” However, on the night of the 9th of this month, he was involved in a hit-and-run incident with a taxi and fled the scene. His manager attempted to take the blame for him, and the company initially claimed that he had not been drinking. The incident sparked public outrage. On the 19th, Kim Ha-jung admitted to driving under the influence and apologized to his fans.
On the night of the 9th, around 11:40 PM KST, Kim Ha-jung changed his driving route and collided with a taxi coming from the opposite direction, then fled the scene. In an attempt to cover for him, his manager went to the police station after the accident, wearing the clothes Kim Ha-jung wore during the incident, falsely claiming to be the hit-and-run driver.
However, the police discovered that the vehicle was registered under Kim Ha-jung’s name, and he had visited an entertainment venue before the accident, leading them to investigate him for possible drunk driving. Kim Ha-jung only showed up at the police station 17 hours after the incident to confess that he was the one responsible.
After the incident was exposed by the media, his management company initially stated that though Kim Ha-jung had indeed visited an entertainment venue before the accident, he absolutely had not been drinking. Despite Kim Ha-jung’s alcohol test showing no traces of alcohol, the police suspected that the time gap between his drinking and the accident prompted them to conduct a urine test. Subsequently, the National Forensic Service in South Korea detected alcohol metabolites in his urine, confirming that Kim Ha-jung had been drinking before the accident.
On the 14th, his management company stated, “After the traffic accident with the taxi on the 9th, Kim Ha-jung parked the car by the roadside and contacted the manager during which the taxi driver reported to the police. The manager, who learned about the situation, said they would handle it and voluntarily went to the police station, claiming to be the driver. While there were no signs of Kim Ha-jung drinking in the alcohol test, we are currently awaiting the outcome of the accident investigation. He feels deeply sorry for causing social controversy due to his inability to handle the situation properly in haste at the time of the accident.”
Following the incident, Kim Ha-jung held concerts as scheduled on May 11th and 12th. His management company also announced on the 14th that his upcoming “TVAROTTI CLASSIC ARENA TOUR 2024” and “World Union Orchestra Super Classic” tour schedules would proceed as planned.
However, on the 15th, South Korean media outlet “MBC” reported that after Kim Ha-jung’s hit-and-run incident, the police investigated surveillance camera footage in the vicinity of the accident and found that the wheels of the vehicle he hit had flown off, and the driver did not exit the vehicle but drove off. Concerned that Kim Ha-jung might destroy evidence as the memory card of the vehicle’s dashcam had been removed when the police searched the vehicle, they applied for a search warrant to locate the memory card.
On the evening of the 16th, the police conducted a search of Kim Ha-jung and the residence and office of the head of his management company, THINK Entertainment, on suspicion of hit-and-run and violating the Road Traffic Act, as well as aggravating penalties for specific crimes.
As the controversy continued and public opinion did not support Kim Ha-jung’s actions, the production team of the popular South Korean variety show “New Product Launch Convenience Store” announced on the 16th that they would edit out Kim Ha-jung’s parts from the program as much as possible.
Yesterday, on the 19th, Kim Ha-jung apologized on his official fan community, and his management company admitted their mistake, stating, “Our incorrect judgment as a company led to social controversy, and we must bow our heads and apologize. From the initial official stance to now, we’ve been trying to cover up the situation. We sincerely apologize for not acting honestly. For causing social controversy, we deeply apologize to everyone.”
Kim Ha-jung expressed, “This incident has deeply hurt my family ARISS (official fan name), and I am truly sorry. I deeply understand that even a sip of alcohol should not touch the steering wheel (drive). Because of my foolish judgment, causing everyone distress, as an adult, even if you have not experienced it, you should understand (do not drink and drive, hit-and-run). I despise my foolish appearance.”
He further wrote, “Even if the guilty person says too much, it is meaningless. I am still under investigation. When the investigation is completed and everything comes to an end, I will return here. I am sincerely sorry and deeply reflect. In order not to let everyone’s dream down, I can only strive to live on. I will live on with everything engraved in my heart. I’m truly sorry.”
Although several concerts proceeded as planned, with Kim Ha-jung speaking on “TVAROTTI CLASSIC ARENA TOUR” on the 18th, mentioning the word “regret” foremost and stating that “all truths will be revealed,” his continued performances amid public criticism led to ongoing condemnation. Consequently, SBS Medianet, the company with whom Kim Ha-jung had signed an agreement for performances, stated on the 19th that whether future performance schedules would proceed as planned was currently under discussion.
On the 20th, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station reported that they had applied for a “travel ban” on Kim Ha-jung and four others, including the head of the management company and the manager who tried to take the blame for Kim Ha-jung, as well as the management company’s head who removed the memory card from the dashcam of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run. The court had approved the police’s request.