Ravi, exempt from military service, announces withdrawal from VIXX

Ravi announced his departure from his group VIXX.

On the 11th, Ravi personally apologized for his ‘exemption from military service.’ Ravi said, “I apologize to everyone who was harmed and hurt by my mistake.”

He went on to explain the background to his evasion, saying, “(Before military service), he was the only profit-generating artist in the company at the time, and the deadline for fulfilling the contracts signed before COVID-19 was pushed back without any definite date, so he desperately needed to postpone his service due to the burden of penalties.”

He also said, "Out of that desperation, I made a foolish choice, and when my concerns about the company and contract-related matters were resolved, I volunteered to do community service and have been serving since October of last year, fulfilling my military service obligation." .

Ravi apologized, saying, "I would like to sincerely apologize to the epilepsy patients and their families who were hurt by me rationalizing myself and making the wrong choice, as well as to all military service holders who are faithfully performing their service at this very moment."

In addition, he said, "I am sincerely sorry for making all the fans who supported me feel denied and broken during the time we spent together," and added, "I have decided to withdraw from the team to prevent further damage to the VIXX members."

Ravi is accused of receiving a reduction in military service by submitting false epilepsy certificates to the Military Manpower Administration through brokers Mr. Gu and Mr. Kim.

Ravi was diagnosed with a level 3 physical condition in 2012 due to bronchial asthma. Afterwards, in 2019, he received a grade 4 through a second physical examination. Immediately after meeting Mr. Koo, in March 2021, he attempted to obtain a level 5 exemption due to false epilepsy. During this process, Ravi acted like fainting and made a false report to 119.

Below is Ravi's full handwritten apology.

hello. This is Ravi.

First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone who was harmed and hurt by my mistake.

In the past, I was diagnosed with community service due to a pre-existing condition, and while I was postponing my service to pursue activities, I reached a point where it was difficult to postpone my service any longer.

At the time, I was desperate to postpone my service due to the fact that I was the only profit-generating artist in the company and the burden of penalties in a situation where the deadline for fulfilling the contracts signed before the coronavirus was delayed.

Out of that desperation, I made a foolish choice, and when my concerns about the company and contract-related issues were resolved, I volunteered to do community service and have been performing my military service since October of last year.

I would like to sincerely apologize to the epilepsy patients and their families who have been hurt by my rationalizing and making wrong choices during this process, as well as to all military service holders who are faithfully serving their duties at this very moment.

I also sincerely apologize to all those who have been hurt by me and to the fans who have passionately supported my life for a long time as I am more than just a singer, for making all of our time together feel denied and broken.

I wanted to be someone I could be proud of, but I am embarrassed to show such shame. I feel like I was inadequate compared to the precious hearts of all of you who have devoted so much time and effort to building them up.

Lastly, I have decided to withdraw from the team to prevent any further damage to the VIXX members who suffered due to my mistake. I am truly grateful to all the members who have been with me through my shortcomings over the past 11 years, and I feel sorry beyond words.

I sincerely hope that there will be no further damage caused by me to the precious efforts of the members.

I think I am still a person with many shortcomings and many things to learn. I think it's up to me to handle all the criticism that comes my way. If you scold me a lot, I will regret and learn more deeply.

I know very well that my mistakes do not disappear with these shabby words of apology. I will continue to remember this moment and learn from it so that I can live as a better person.

I am truly sorry.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr