Rapper Rich Iggy, who sparked controversy with lyrics disparaging the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, has expressed deep reflection on his past actions.
On the 19th, Rich Iggy shared a long handwritten letter on his personal account, stating, “I visited the Roh Moo-hyun Citizen Center today to deliver an apology letter. I sincerely apologize to everyone who suffered due to my mistakes and will reflect deeply.”
In the letter, Rich Iggy admitted, “From my debut until recently, I have engaged in behavior that mocks and disparages the deceased through my music and lyrics, which would be frowned upon by the public and the bereaved family, simply for the sake of fame.”
He continued, “Through this incident, I feel sorry to everyone and am currently reflecting deeply. In the future, I will never mock or disparage the deceased, caricature them, or mention them in a wrong direction.” He added, “Once again, I sincerely bow my head in apology to the foundation and the bereaved family of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun.”
Previously, Rich Iggy was scheduled to hold his first solo concert at Yeonnam Space in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 23rd, but the event was ultimately canceled.
Having used expressions mocking the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in his songs, he faced backlash for scheduling the concert on the 23rd, the anniversary of the former president’s passing, and setting the ticket price at “52,300 won.”
In response, the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation took a strong stance, announcing a provisional injunction to ban the performance. Yeonnam Space also announced the cancellation, stating, “We do not aim for content that contains hate or disparaging expressions toward specific individuals or groups, or that may incite social conflict.”
Below is the full text of rapper Rich Iggy’s SNS post:
To the foundation and the bereaved family,
“Hello, I am Lee Min-seo, rapper Rich Iggy. First, I offer my sincere apologies regarding this incident. From my debut until recently, I have engaged in behavior that mocks and disparages the deceased through my music and lyrics, which would be frowned upon by the public and the bereaved family, simply for the sake of fame.”
“I am deeply reflecting on my behavior and carelessness, knowing that many young people and the public were affected by me. I believe saying I was immature or did it for fun is just an excuse, and that it was a careless judgment and action on my part, ignoring my social responsibility.”
“Through this incident, I feel sorry to everyone and am reflecting deeply. Therefore, I promise that I will never mock or disparage the deceased, caricature them, or mention them in a wrong direction in the future. I will also reflect on all my past actions and words. Once again, I offer my deepest apologies. I know my sincerity may not be fully conveyed, but I will show it through my future actions and behavior for the sake of forgiveness and my own integrity.”
“Finally, I sincerely bow my head in apology once again to the foundation and the bereaved family of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. I will reflect deeply.”
“I am sorry.”
