Kim Ho-jung, Demands 30 Million Won Bribe from So-mang Prison Guard... Ministry of Justice Launches Investigation

Singer Kim Ho-jung, who is serving time for drunk driving hit-and-run, has been revealed to have been demanded a bribe worth tens of millions of won by a guard at So-mang Prison. The Ministry of Justice has immediately launched an investigation, raising serious concerns about the overall management and supervision system of So-mang Prison, the only private prison in the country.

According to the legal community and correctional authorities on the 16th, the Seoul Regional Correctional Office has identified that a guard, identified as A, demanded 30 million won from inmate Kim Ho-jung.

It is reported that A explicitly demanded money from Kim Ho-jung, saying, "I helped you get into So-mang Prison, so give me 30 million won in return." Kim Ho-jung felt severe pressure from A's demand and, fearing that he would face disadvantages in his remaining prison life, disclosed this fact during a meeting with another guard, bringing the incident to light.

"No Actual Money Exchanged"... Ministry of Justice Launches Investigation

A Ministry of Justice official stated, "As soon as we received the related report, we began an investigation into the employee in question," adding, "As of now, it has been confirmed that no actual money has exchanged hands." The Ministry of Justice has provisionally determined that A was not actually involved in the selection process of Kim Ho-jung, but views the act of demanding money using his position as a serious misconduct and has warned of strong measures.

Attorney Roh Jong-eon, representative of the law firm Jeongjae, pointed out, "Guards in private prisons are considered to have a status equivalent to that of public officials during the investigation and trial stages under current law," and added, "Even if they did not influence the selection, the act of demanding money from an inmate alone can constitute the crime of accepting bribes."