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Kim Ho-joong (center) exits the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on May 24. (Yonhap) |
Popera singer Kim Ho-joong, who was recently issued an arrest warrant under charges of committing a hit-and-run while driving under the influence, will temporarily be banned from appearing on the Korean Broadcasting System.
"Although the court has not yet made its ruling, Kim Ho-joong caused serious public controversy by making up repeated lies about a hit-and-run accident that occured while drunk driving. As a result, we received numerous petitions from viewers requesting a ban on his appearances -- which led to our decision for a temporary suspension of his appearances on KBS," said KBS via an official article.
Currently, KBS enforces regulations on celebrities who become involved in social controversies stemming from illegal or unethical behaviors, such as committing sexual violence, DUI and drug-related offenses.
The regulatory measures, determined by the KBS broadcasting regulation review committee based on the severity of the case, include total suspension from appearing on KBS, temporary suspension and advising KBS officials such as producers against casting the individual in question.
A KBS official said that Kim's suspension period will be decided by the court's final ruling.
"Online news reports currently state that adjustments to the regulatory measures concerning Kim will be made after the first court ruling, but this is incorrect. KBS will make adjustments after the third and final ruling, as Kim could appeal the results of the initial trial," said the official. On average, a final court ruling takes about two to three years.
Kim's arrest comes after a warrant was sought on charges of committing a hit-and-run while drunk driving on the night of May 9.
The 33-year-old singer, who gained fame after appearing on the audition show "Mr. Trot," faced public outrage when it was reported that Kim had instructed his manager to lie to the police and claim that he was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, KBS also permanently suspended actor Oh Young-soo from appearing on its channels. Oh is known for his role as Oh Il-nam, the mastermind behind the death games in the popular Netflix original series "Squid Game."
In March, Oh received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for sexually harassing a woman in 2017.
