Singer Kim Ho-joong, who is currently imprisoned for drunk hit-and-run charges, has faced another setback. He lost a massive damage compensation lawsuit against anti-fans who criticized him in the past.
According to the legal community on the 4th, the Seoul Central District Court delivered a plaintiff loss ruling in the damage compensation lawsuit filed by Kim Ho-joong against 180 anti-fans, including Mr. Kang. The court dismissed all claims from Kim Ho-joong's side and ruled in favor of the defendants.
Previously, Kim Ho-joong had filed a lawsuit amounting to 760.4 million won, claiming that he suffered serious mental and material damages due to malicious posts related to his military service controversy in 2021. At that time, Kim Ho-joong's side argued that even if the defendants' actions were one-time occurrences, the negative impact they caused was enormous, but the court did not accept this.
With this ruling, Kim Ho-joong has to accept an unfavorable outcome in his legal battle while in prison. He is currently serving a 2-year and 6-month sentence for charges of dangerous driving resulting in injury and fleeing the scene under the Specific Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act. He was found guilty of fleeing after colliding with a taxi while driving under the influence in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in May 2024, and attempting to cover up the crime by coercing his manager to falsely surrender.
After strongly denying the drinking allegations immediately after the accident, Kim Ho-joong admitted to them ten days later and is now incarcerated in Somang Prison, a private correctional facility, after passing through the Seoul Detention Center. He was considered for special parole on Christmas last December but received a final disqualification ruling, with his scheduled release date set for November.
This news of losing the lawsuit while serving time has placed Kim Ho-joong in a position where he is not only embroiled in social controversies but also unable to escape past legal disputes.
