South Korean singer and rapper B.I attended his first court hearing over suspicions of illegal drug possession and use on August 26th having admitted to all the charges. The prosecution has requested a sentence of 3 years in prison with a fine of 1.5 million Korean Won (approximately USD $1,300).
Later that day, B.I’s legal representative stood on behalf of the 24-year-old and gave a statement reading: “B.I admits to his mistakes and is deeply reflecting on himself, as well as on the fact that he caused a great disturbance as a public figure. During the time of the crime, B.I was only 19-years old.”
“He made a mistake out of curiosity. Furthermore, B.I is a first-time defendant with no criminal or civil record, and he has carried out community service as well as nonprofit donations continuously since his debut. The album he recently released is also part of a project to donate all proceeds.”
In his defendant’s statement, B.I himself spoke before the court later, stating that he “made a completely foolish mistake in the past.”
“I was young and naive, but even so, I was foolish for what I did. I hurt my family. For a time, I thought that I no longer wanted to live. But through these recent events, I took the time to look around me and reflect on my past. I will never repeat a foolish mistake like this again. I will continue to reflect on myself. I want to protect those I cherish.”
B.I also submitted an apology letter to the court ahead of the hearing on August 25th. The court will come to a verdict at the sentencing trial scheduled for September 10th.
The former member of South Korean boyband iKon is currently on trial for charges regarding his involvement in purchasing illegal marijuana and LSD from an acquaintance from May of 2015 through April of 2016. B.I admitted to using illegal drugs when being questioned by police in September 2019 and he was shortly indicted.
