Music video director and DJ Cool K (44, birth name Kim Do-kyung) directly addressed his past military service evasion scandal and showed regret.
On the 14th, Cool K wrote on social media (SNS), "When I was in my 20s, I really didn't want to go to the military, so I made a terribly wrong choice. It was the most regretful moment of my life."
He said, "After that, I felt so ashamed and mortified that I tried in every way to change the past, but in the end I trapped myself in my own mistake," and added, "People still point at me as a military service evader. It's only right that I be pointed at for the rest of my life."
He also noted, "It doesn't matter that I completed my military service and finished my reserve and civil defense duties. The problem is the wrong choice I made," adding, "It took a long time to accept that no matter how much you regret the past, you can't change it. But I believe that from now on we can change our choices, and that effort has meaning."
Cool K was ruled fit for active-duty enlistment in 2006, but it was discovered that he obtained a grade-4 assessment through illicit means, including raising his blood pressure via a broker. In Oct. 2008, he received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years for violating the Military Service Act, then re-enlisted in Nov. the same year and was honorably discharged in Sep. 2010 as a sergeant upon completing his term.
He made a name for himself as the youngest director by directing the band Boohwal's "Yesterday (YESter DAY)" music video in 2003, and has since worked across music, fashion, and broadcasting. Recently, he has also been taking the stage as a DJ while continuing broadcast activities.