Microdot Posts Statement Following Confirmation Of Parents' Prison Sentences For Fraud

Rapper Microdot has written a letter of apology and explanation after his parents’ prison sentences were confirmed.

According to their initial charges, Microdot’s parents ran a dairy farm in the city of Jecheon from 1990 to 1998. After borrowing a total of 400 million won (approximately $326,500) from 14 people including relatives and acquaintances, they fled the country to New Zealand in May 1998 without paying the money back. An investigation at the time was suspended because the police were unable to locate the couple.

Fraud accusations resurfaced in November 2018 when an alleged victim posted online about the incident, and Microdot initially made a statement saying he would take legal action against false rumors about his parents. However, he apologized the next day and said he hadn’t been aware of the situation as he was five years old at the time his parents moved to New Zealand, and he promised to personally speak to the victims.

In October 2019, the couple was sentenced to prison at their first trial. The husband was sentenced to three years in prison and the wife to one year, and they filed an appeal to protest the ruling.

At their April 24 second trial to address their appeal, the Cheongju District Court upheld the ruling of the first trial. The court stated, “The defendants reached agreements with a considerable number of the victims and they made deposits for a portion of it, however over 20 years later, they only paid the principal amount.” They added, “This sentence was decided on after considering everything including the value of money at the time of the crime and the mental distress suffered by the victims during that period.”

The court’s ruling mentions 10 fraud victims and damages of about 390 million won (approximately $318,300). The husband has stated that they came to an agreement with six of the victims and belatedly paid them 210 million won (approximately $171,400).

It was reported on May 1 that the couple submitted an appeal release to the court on April 29, meaning they did not appeal the final trial’s ruling. As the deadline to appeal has now passed, their prison sentences have been confirmed.

On May 1, Microdot posted the following letter on Instagram:

Hello. This is Microdot (Shin Jae Ho).

When the news report came out about my parents in November of 2018, I spoke carelessly without a full understanding of the situation and therefore hurt the victims, and I apologize for that.
I am ashamed of how careless I was then and I am still deeply reflecting on this.

I cannot turn back time with words, but the mistakes of my parents are also my mistakes, and my parents’ regrets are also the regrets that I must bear as their child.
I cannot fully fathom the suffering that the victims and their families went through during that long period of time.
That is why for the past year and a half I have been finding out the detailed truth and doing my best, although I am lacking, to correct my parents’ mistake.

Up until the final ruling was given on April 24, 2020, I had reached agreements with nine of the victims as my parents’ son, however there are four other people that I was unable to reach agreements with, and my parents were sentenced to prison.

I want to express my apologies once again to the people who suffered because of my parents and to the people who were hurt because of what I lack.
I was not good enough and I will look back on my actions and always be careful so that I do not make the same mistake again.

From Microdot (Shin Jae Ho).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pU4urjC1H/

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