The Supreme Court has upheld an 18-month prison sentence for Korean rapper Lee Dong-heon, known as Keith Ape, for marijuana use, local media reported Wednesday.
Lee was convicted of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The top court rejected his claim that the sentence was excessive.
Prosecutors accused Lee of smoking cannabis and vaping liquid cannabis five times at music studios in Seoul’s Gangnam and Mapo districts between February 2023 and January 2024.
Lower courts sentenced him to 18 months in prison, along with 40 hours of mandatory rehabilitation education and 800,000 won ($556) in forfeiture. Lee appealed, arguing that the lower court had failed to fully examine the case and that the sentence was too heavy.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, noting that an appeal based solely on the claim that a sentence is unreasonable is permitted only in cases involving the death penalty, life imprisonment or a prison term of at least 10 years.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
