Kim Ho-joong enters Seoul Central District Court for pretrial detention hearing in May 24, 2024. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) Trot singer Kim Ho-joong has been granted parole and will be released on June 30, an aide to the singer said Tuesday.He will be released around five months ahead of schedule after serving 767 days in prison for a hit-and-run incident.Prosecutors said he crashed into a taxi in an oncoming lane in Seoul's Gangnam district on May 9, 2024, while driving under the influence, then fled the scene. He later instructed his manager to falsely claim responsibility for the crash and purchased additional alcohol from a convenience store in an apparent attempt to bolster a so-called "hip-flask defense," according to investigators.A court sentenced Kim to two years and six months in prison. He had been scheduled for release in November.Kim initially served his sentence at the Seoul Detention Center before being transferred to Soman Correctional Institution in Yeoju, south of Seoul, in August 2024.Under South Korean correctional regulations, inmates who have served at least one-third of their sentence are eligible to apply for parole.Kim first sought parole in December but was denied. Correctional authorities said he was recently approved by the parole board based on his exemplary conduct while incarcerated.Under the terms of his parole, Kim will remain under supervised probation. He must obtain court approval before changing his residence or traveling abroad.