K-pop idol Ravi apologized for lying and pretending to have epilepsy to evade military service and left boy band VIXX due to the controversy.
Ravi is facing two years in prison for faking his medical diagnosis in order to avoid serving as an active duty soldier in the military.
K-pop idol Ravi (Instagram)
K-pop idol Ravi outside the Seoul courthouse on April 11 for his trial (Screenshot from KBS video)
K-pop idol Ravi (Instagram)
The disgraced rapper enlisted in October and has been serving as a social worker, an alternative form of military service in South Korea.
Military service is a mandatory duty for all Korean men.
On April 11, Ravi attended the first trial at Seoul Southern District Court. He and eight others are charged with violating the Military Service Act.
Prosecutors asked the court to sentence Ravi to two years in prison for evading his military service by pretending to have epilepsy.
Ravi is accused of conspiring with his agency’s representative and a military service broker to pretend he was an epileptic patient and receive a fake medical diagnosis.
He was indicted without detention last month on charges of attempting to get exempted from military service by submitting the false medical diagnosis to the Military Manpower Administration, which supervises military service, a mandatory duty for all men in South Korea.
Ravi was said to have acted as if he had fainted, received a hospital examination, got a diagnosis and submitted it to the Military Manpower Administration.
After the trial, Ravi took to Instagram to release an apology and announce that he was leaving VIXX.
“First of all, I would like to express my apologies to everyone who has suffered damage and hurt due to my faults,” he said.
He added, “I was judged for social service due to a disease I had in the past and was postponing my service for activities. I had reached a point where it was difficult to postpone my military service any longer.”
Ravi said he had to delay his military service as he was the only artist earning at his company and he was facing penalties due to contracts that were signed before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At the time, the fact that I was the only profit-generating artist in the company and the time to fulfill the contracts signed before Covid-19 was pushed back without certainty, and the burden of the penalty was a desperate point in delaying my service,” he said.
He added, “With desperation, I made a foolish choice, and when my concerns about the company and contract-related matters were resolved, I volunteered to apply for public service and have been serving since October of last year, fulfilling my military service obligations.”
“I would like to express my sincere apologies to the epileptic patients and their families who must have been hurt by me for rationalizing myself and making the wrong choice during this process, as well as to all the military service members who are faithfully fulfilling their duties even at this moment,” he said.
Ravi said, “Also, to all the people who have been hurt because of me, and to the fans who have passionately supported my life for a long time as an existence beyond a singer, I am sincerely sorry that the time I spent with them all made me feel denied and crumbling.”
“I wanted to be something I could be proud of, but I was ashamed to see such an embarrassing side of me. Compared to the precious feeling of all of you who have built up meticulously for a long time, I seem to have been lacking,” he said.
Ravi announced that “lastly, to the VIXX members who were harmed by my fault, I decided to leave the team so that no further damage would occur. I sincerely thank all the members who have been with me for a long time of 11 years, and I am sorry beyond words. I sincerely hope that there will be no more damage caused by me to the members' precious efforts.”
“I still seem to be a person with a lot of shortcomings and has to learn more. I think that all the criticism given for this incident is my responsibility. The more you scold me, I will repent and learn more deeply,” he said.
He said, “I know very well that my faults do not disappear with these humble words of apology. In the future, I will continue to learn and work hard so that I can live as a better person by reflecting on this moment without forgetting it. I am sincerely sorry.”