The agency’s CEO is accused of orchestrating a driver swap to cover up the incident (aiding and abetting a criminal), while the head of operations is accused of removing the memory card from Kim’s vehicle (evidence tampering).
Amid growing public outrage against Kim, petitions calling for his permanent ban from the music industry have surfaced.
Kim plans to proceed with his scheduled performances in Seoul on May 23-24.
As of Wednesday morning, over 10 petitions demanding Kim’s permanent removal from broadcasts were posted on the KBS viewer petition board.
KBS is required to respond to petitions that receive 1,000 signatures within 30 days. Two petitions regarding Kim’s expulsion have already surpassed this threshold.
The initial petitioner, identified as A, said, “I am furious and trembling with anger at the shamelessness of Kim Ho-joong, who, despite committing a crime, is brazenly pushing forward with his Changwon performance without any sign of remorse, blinded by greed for money. If KBS continues to feature Kim Ho-joong, it will be stigmatised as an institution that supports and shelters criminals.”
Another petitioner, B, wrote, “Kim Ho-joong sends a bad signal and induces helplessness among youths and young people. His bad character and the stress he causes the public are unacceptable. Please expel him promptly.”
Kim plans to proceed with his “World Union Orchestra Super Classic Kim Ho-joong & Primadonna” performances. Although his agency stated that he would not receive any appearance fees, they decided to go ahead with the performances to avoid penalties for cancellation.
Kim appeared at the police station on Tuesday afternoon for a private investigation. He refused to leave after the investigation, citing the presence of reporters, and only emerged around 10:40pm, six hours after the interrogation ended.
Reportedly, the police instructed Kim to exit through the main entrance, but he refused, leading to a prolonged stand-off.
Despite his lawyer’s persuasion, Kim insisted, “I find it difficult to appear in front of the press,” and remained inside.
When he finally came out, he briefly apologised, saying, “What more can a sinner say? I’m sorry.”
However, his contradictory behaviour, such as smiling and patting reporters on the arm, drew further criticism. Earlier, Kim also faced backlash for arriving at the police station in a black car through an underground parking area to avoid the media.