Court to hold bail hearing for popera star Kim Ho-joong next month over hit-and-run

A Seoul court will hold a hearing next month to decide whether to grant bail to popera singer Kim Ho-joong arrested on charges of driving his car across a centerline into a stationary taxi under the influence of alcohol and fleeing, judicial officials said Monday. The Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing on Sept. 30, the sources said. Kim was indicted with physical detention in June over the hit-and-run that happened in Seoul's southern district of Gangnam on the night of May 9. He then left the scene without taking post-accident measures and had his manager turn himself in as if he had driven the car. Kim had initially denied driving drunk, but admitted to it 10 days after the accident. Prosecutors indicted Kim on charges including reckless driving resulting in injuries, flight resulting in injuries, and taking no post-accident measures, but excluded drunken driving charges as it was impossible to reversely estimate the exact alcohol level. Kim applied for bail Friday, four days after he admitted to all charges during the second hearing last week and said he had reached a settlement with the victim. The court is expected to deliver a verdict for Kim as early as late October. Source: Yonhap News Agency