Rapper Nafla receives suspended sentence for faking mental illness to avoid public service duties
by Minsoo-Kim · allkpopRapper Nafla receives suspended sentence for attempting early discharge by faking mental illness during public service.
Rapper Nafla (real name Choi Nicholas Seokbae) has been handed a suspended prison sentence for faking mental illness to attempt an early discharge from his public service duties. According to legal sources on October 2nd KST, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling from September 12th, sentencing Nafla to 1 year and 2 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, for charges including obstruction of official duties by deception and violation of the Military Service Act.
Nafla, who was assigned as a public service worker at the Seocho District Office in February 2021, was charged with manipulating his attendance records and pretending to suffer from worsening depression and panic disorder to secure an early discharge. He had been receiving psychiatric treatment and prescriptions for about a year but reportedly did not take most of the medications, instead storing them at home.
The scheme also involved his agency’s co-CEO, an official from Seocho District Office, and an official from the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration. Prosecutors also brought these individuals to trial.
Nafla was initially sentenced to one year in prison, but on appeal, the sentence was reduced to 1 year and 2 months with a 2-year suspension. The court noted that Nafla had admitted to most of his crimes and was remorseful. Additionally, the court considered the principle of fairness in sentencing, as Nafla had already been convicted of drug-related crimes under the Narcotics Control Act.
Under Korean law, when multiple offenses are tried together, the most severe charge can serve as the basis for sentencing, with an additional penalty of up to 1.5 times the base sentence. However, when cases are tried separately, the sentences may simply be added together, potentially leading to harsher overall punishment. The law allows judges to reduce the sentence when the defendant has already received a prior conviction.
Nafla had previously been sentenced to a suspended prison term for drug-related offenses in November 2022. Both Nafla and the prosecution appealed the second trial’s ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed their appeals, stating there were no errors in the application of the law regarding the obstruction of official duties.
Meanwhile, former VIXX member Ravi (real name Kim Wonshik) was also sentenced to 1 year in prison, suspended for 2 years, for submitting a falsified medical diagnosis to avoid military service by pretending to suffer from epilepsy. Ravi did not appeal the ruling, making it final.
A military service broker who assisted with the fraud, identified as Gu, was sentenced to 5 years in prison and ordered to pay over 1.3 billion won in restitution. In addition to Ravi and Nafla, volleyball player Jo Jae Sung, soccer players Kim Myung Jun and Kim Seung Jun, and actor Song Duk Ho were also implicated in the scheme through Gu’s network.
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