Police uncover recording of Kim Ho-joong telling manager to take blame for drunk-driving crash

Police have secured a phone recording of trot singer Kim Ho-joong asking his manager to take the blame for the accident that occurred on May 9.

Kim Ho-joong was arrested last Friday after a local court approved the arrest warrant. [YONHAP]

Police have secured a phone recording of trot singer Kim Ho-joong asking his manager to take the blame for the accident that occurred on May 9.

"Police have secured a recording of a call between Kim and his manager, which occurred immediately after the hit-and-run, from the manager's cell phone," TV Chosun reported Tuesday.

Kim has been charged for the incident on May 9 in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, where he drove into a stationary taxi and fled the scene while under the influence of alcohol. His manager attempted to take the blame for the crash, but the singer turned himself in 17 hours after the incident. Kim was arrested last Friday upon the local court’s approval of an arrest warrant.

Police found the recording while analyzing the manager’s confiscated cell phone. It was reported that the phone had an automatic recording function. The recording includes Kim telling his manager, "I caused an accident after drinking alcohol," and, "Please turn yourself in instead."

Before his arrest, Kim refused to voluntarily submit his cell phone. Police later raided Kim's house on May 16 and secured three iPhones, but Kim did not give them the passwords to any of the phones. Despite initially not cooperating with the investigation, Kim announced that he would provide the passwords through his lawyer.

Kim attending a warrant review hearing last Friday around noon [JOONGANG ILBO]

Kim has still remained uncooperative, however, only providing parts of the passwords of the three iPhones seized, according to media reports.

Kim pushed ahead with performing on the first day of "World Union Orchestra Super Classic: Kim Ho-joong and Prima-donna," which local media outlets speculate as being due to the advance payment the agency may have received for Kim's performances.

His performance for the second day of the concert was canceled last Friday due to his arrest the same day. His other concert tour, "Tvarotti Classic Arena Tour," which was scheduled to be held this weekend in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, was canceled as well.

Kim and his agency are expected to pay penalties for not showing up to these venues.

Kim attending a warrant review hearing last Friday around noon [NEWS1]

Kim's agency announced Monday it would change its CEO, executives and anyone related to the singer's drunk-driving incident. The company will review its entire business and whether it will continue to manage other artists.

KBS will hold a committee meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to ban Kim from broadcasts. KBS designates acts that cause social controversy through illegal or immoral acts as being subject to regulatory review.

KBS suspended actor Oh Young-soo, famous for appearing in the Netflix drama "Squid Game" (2021), on Tuesday .

Oh is accused of forcibly harassing the victim by hugging her on a local trail in August 2017. Oh, who was sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of probation in the first trial, is facing a second trial after appeals were lodged by both sides.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]