Kidoh and Iron, both 24, have been sentenced to jail for six and eight months respectively after they were convicted of smoking marijuana. (Photo : YouTube/Artists news KFK)
South Korean rappers Iron and former Topp Dogg member Kidoh have been sentenced to jail for drug-related crimes. Both artists, aged 24, are facing imprisonment after they were caught smoking marijuana earlier this year.
On Nov. 24, Thursday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Iron to eight months in prison and two years of probation while Kidoh received a six-month jail sentence and probation for a year for violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics, according to KoreaBoo. Iron and Kidoh were also ordered to pay a fine of 250,000 won and 50,000 won respectively and commit 40 hours towards rehabilitation for drug use.
Both rappers were prosecuted in July. While Iron was charged with smoking marijuana on three separate occasions between December 2014 and March 2015, Kidoh was accused of smoking the illegal substance at a bar in Bangkok during his trip to the Thai city in October 2015, according to Soompi.
Iron and Kidoh were arrested after an aspiring producer named "Kang" was apprehended for trying to rob a bag full of cash from a sauna in Gangnam. Police conducted a drug test after noticing Kang's eyes and erratic behavior and found traces of drugs in his system.
Kang confessed to using marijuana in the company of some of his friends. His statement then led authorities to investigate nine other individuals, including Iron and Kidoh. Along with the rappers, a singer, an aspiring songwriter, and a performance planner were among the nine suspects who were arrested for smoking marijuana, which is a punishable offence in South Korea.
Iron dropped his first full-length album, "Rock Bottom," two months ago. The album became the subject of controversy after one of the tracks, which features Kidoh, included lyrics that glamorized rape and contained racial slurs against YG, T.O.P. and G-Dragon.
After leaving Topp Dogg, Kidoh announced plans to kick off his Solo Performance Tour in the United States this December. However, the event will now have to be cancelled following his sentence.
Watch the MV of Iron and Kidoh's controversial song "Roll" below:
