The trial for Korean rapper Iron was to commence Tuesday, on charges that he had assaulted and threatened his girlfriend last year.

Iron, 25-year-old whose real name is Jeong Heon-cheol, was indicted last month on suspicion of hitting his then-girlfriend in September and October of last year.

He will be tried on charges including battery and threatening harm.

The alleged victim had alleged that the supposed assault came first in September when she refused to comply with his demand during sex, and again in October when she announced she is breaking up with him.

But the rapper had claimed that the aforementioned physical assault was consensual, due to the women’s sexual orientation. He claimed that the rumors against him have been greatly exaggerated and he is suffering from the accusations.

Her legal representatives countered by saying that the supposed victim had suffered from Iron releasing her personal information -- including photos and social media accounts -- and spreading false information about her sexual orientation.

The rapper made a name for himself in the mainstream music scene via his 2014 appearance in Mnet’s “Show Me the Money,” but he has since been a magnet for trouble and controversy.

Iron’s song “System“ came under fire for using derogatory terms against homosexuals. Another lyric from a different song depicting how he stabbed a person sent shockwaves across the nation when it was revealed in a 2016 interview to have actually happened.

Later in the year, he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for smoking marijuana. 

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)