The Ministry of Justice launched an internal investigation into allegations that a corrections officer at Somang Correction Institution demanded a bribe from singer Kim Ho-joong, who is currently serving a prison sentence for a hit-and-run while driving under the influence (DUI).

The ministry began its inquiry in September after receiving intelligence that an officer affiliated with the private prison had allegedly demanded around 30 million won ($20,600) from Kim, according to legal sources on Sunday.


The officer reportedly told Kim, “I helped get you transferred to Somang, so you owe me 30 million won.”

Kim, who was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in April for a DUI hit-and-run, was transferred from the Seoul Detention Center to Somang Correction Institution in August. However, the officer in question was not involved in Kim’s transfer, and no money is known to have been exchanged.

Located in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, Somang Correction Institution opened in December 2010 as the country’s only privately operated prison. Unlike regular prisons, it is known for calling inmates by name rather than by number and serving the same meals to staff and inmates. With each inmate allotted 3.98 square meters (42.8 square feet) of space — more than the 2.58 square meters provided in public prisons — the facility is popular among inmates, though it has strict eligibility criteria.

Inmates are selected when space opens due to parole or completed sentences. Under an agreement with the Justice Ministry, only certain inmates qualify: men aged 20 to 59 serving sentences of up to seven years, with at least one year remaining and no more than two convictions. Those convicted of organized crime or drug offenses are excluded.

Kim was convicted of crossing the center line while driving drunk on Apgujeong in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, at around 11:44 p.m. on May 9 last year and crashing into a taxi coming from the opposite direction. He fled the scene and had his manager, surnamed Jang, turn himself in to the police instead. Kim was convicted of dangerous driving resulting in injury and other charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]