Rapper Keith Ape (legal name Lee Dong-heon, 33), who smoked marijuana multiple times, received a finalized prison sentence of 1 year and 6 months.
The Supreme Court's Third Division (presiding Justice Lee Sook-yeon) said on the 25th that it finalized the lower court's ruling handed down on the 15th for Lee, who was indicted on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act (marijuana).
Keith Ape was brought to trial on charges of smoking marijuana several times from Feb. 2023 to Jan. 2024 at his home and music studio.
The first trial sentenced Keith Ape to 1 year and 6 months in prison and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a drug addiction rehabilitation education program. The first-instance court said, "The defendant is highly blameworthy, the degree of narcotics addiction is severe, and it is difficult to see the risk of recidivism as low."
It also noted, "The defendant committed each offense during the suspended sentence period for a narcotics crime," and, "After appearing at the probation office for a drug test and returning home, the defendant committed the offense again on the same day."
Keith Ape appealed the ruling, but the appellate court reached the same conclusion. The Supreme Court also dismissed the appeal.
Keith Ape was also indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act in 2021 and 2023 and received suspended prison sentences.