Popera singer Kim Ho-joong questioned over DUI hit-and-run

Renowned popera singer Kim Ho-joong underwent police questioning Tuesday over suspicions that he rammed into a stationary taxi and fled the scene while driving under the influence, officials said.

The 33-year-old singer, who rose to stardom after appearing on the audition show “Mr. Trot,” is suspected of crashing into the taxi with his vehicle late on the night of May 9 in Seoul’s southern Gangnam district and leaving the scene without taking after-accident measures.

Kim had denied driving drunk, but ultimately admitted to the suspicions Sunday, 10 days after the crash.

“As a person who committed a fault, I have nothing to say. I will fully cooperate with the probe,” Kim told reporters upon leaving the Seoul Gangnam Police Station at around 11 p.m. after facing questioning for about nine hours.

“I’d like to extend my sincere apology to many people for hurting and disappointing them by making an instant, wrongful judgment. I deeply regret that and reflect on myself,” he added.

Officials had widely been expected to focus their probe on how much Kim drank, how he ended up behind the wheel and the extent of his alleged involvement in the attempt to cover up his drunk driving.

Hours after the crash, Kim’s manager lied to police that he was behind the wheel at the time of the accident, but Kim eventually acknowledged his responsibility the next day during police questioning.

Meanwhile, the police are looking into the whereabouts of Kim and his agency officials before and after the accident, but they have failed to obtain any of the three dashcam memory cards used by Kim.

Kim entered the police station earlier in the day through an underground parking lot and could not be reached by the press for comment.

“All newly built police stations allow suspects to come in for questioning through an underground path,” a police official said, adding no favors were given to the singer, nor did he particularly ask for any.