Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Like A Movie member Domo has recently come forward on Instagram and admitted that recent reports of a 32-year-old idol who was given a suspended sentence for two years (one year in prison if another crime is committed) and 80 hours of community service for trying to evade military service was indeed him. Reports said the idol in question was the leader of a group that debuted in 2018, and he was charged for faking a learning/intellectual disability.
The defendant received a physical examination from the Military Manpower Administration twice, in 2011 and 2017, and both times were approved to serve active duty.
But he faked psychological symptoms and deliberately gave wrong answers in tests to have a local hospital diagnose him with mild mental disability, which qualifies him to apply for alternative service options for those deemed unfit for active duties.
His full-scale intelligence quotient, the average mean score for which is typically 100, was tested to be 60, with the doctors recommending treatment.
The court decided that he did not have a mental disability, considering that he had no problem while preparing for his debut and engaging in activities as a K-pop group member.
In his post, Domo not only briefly apologizes and announces he’s leaving LAM, but also reveals he suffered from panic disorder and depression. In relation to that, he accused a rep (Kim Sunghwan) of his company (Top Cloud Entertainment) and members Howoo and Mingyu of having private meetings with fans, and member Woohyuk having sexual relations with fans.
“First of all I’d like to apologize to the people around me and my fans, who have put all their faith in me, for disappointing you all.
I have officially left LAM as of today.
As you may have seen in the news, I evaded my military service, and as a South Korean man who has neglected his duty, I will deeply reflect on my wrong thoughts and actions. Don’t get me wrong, I always think of my group and hold them in high regard, and I put a lot of thought into our choreographies, performances and costumes.
However, in 2020, I began having a hard time, so I visited the medicine department, and I received evaluations and treatment for my panic disorder and depression. When we debuted and first went to Japan, company representative Kim Sunghwan and members Howoo and Mingyu held private meetings with fans, and Woohyuk had multiple inappropriate/sexual encounters with fans. 2020 was a very difficult year for me and I struggled dealing with these situations on my own…
No matter how much I tried to talk the members out of it, I eventually had to give up. I felt lost and disappointed as the group’s image was tarnished, and it left me with a deep sense of emptiness.
Ultimately, the hospital visit revealed negative psychological test results and indicated that I was suffering from a mental disorder. I was devastated but eventually came to accept it as part of who I am.
I acknowledge my wrongdoings, but I wanted to tell you the truth about what I’ve been through, because none of my hardships were a lie. I do think my military service violation was my fault, but I wanted to share my thoughts and the state of my mind at the time so you can understand me better.
I’m sorry for hurting everyone who loved me.”
Uh… yeah.
I’m not endorsing what those three members and the rep allegedly did, but unless there’s more to it, blaming that for your mental health situation, and then blaming your mental health situation for faking a disability to evade the military just sucks on his part. There are exemptions from the military for mental disorders, so he could’ve gone that route if what he claims is true, but he doesn’t mention trying that. As I’ve said before, I completely understand why people want to avoid serving, but all stuff like this does is make it harder for those who actually have these conditions to be believed.
Just a mess.
