South Korean singer Kim Ho-joong confessed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol in a hit-and-run crash earlier this month.

Kim said on Sunday through his management agency, Think Entertainment, that he had driven after drinking, adding that he deeply regrets what he did and is taking time for self-examination. He pledged to faithfully cooperate in the police investigation.

The 32-year-old singer also apologized for causing pain and disappointment to many people due to his bad judgment.

Think Entertainment, which is accused of systematic participation in alleged concealment of evidence, issued a separate apology for not responding truthfully regarding the accident and evoking public criticism with a wrongful judgment.

Kim is accused of crashing into a taxi in Seoul's Gangnam District on May 9 and fleeing the scene, only for his assistant to initially make a false confession to the police. The singer himself admitted to having driven the car 17 hours later amid circumstances suggesting he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel.