Rapper Microdot announces return to local entertainment industry

Rapper Microdot's selfie that he posted on his Instagram on Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Rapper Microdot, who took a break from the local entertainment industry in late 2018 due to his parents being involved in a fraud case, announced that he will return to Korea with new music on Tuesday evening.

“It’s been a long time, how have you been?” the rapper wrote on his Instagram with a picture of himself, smiling. “I am working hard and plan to come back in the near future with new music.”

In late 2018, people came forward claiming that Microdot’s parents borrowed large sums of money and fled to New Zealand 21 years prior and have not paid them back. Police said that the amount of money borrowed from 10 victims totaled about 600 million won ($457,880), though the victims claimed that the total sum is well over 2 billion won.

When the news broke, Microdot was enjoying his heyday as a rapper and an entertainer, appearing on numerous entertainment shows. He was also in a romantic relationship with actor Hong Soo-hyun at the time. Microdot’s older brother Sanchez was also a rapper in Korea.

When the rumors turned into a legal case the rapper issued an apology to the public, ended his relationship with Hong and stopped his activities.

Microdot’s parents were arrested at the Incheon International Airport on April 8, 2019, as they returned to Korea from New Zealand. In October of that year, his father was sentenced to three years of prison time and his mother was sentenced to one. Both served their jail time and were deported back to New Zealand in June, 2020.

Meanwhile, Microdot has been working as a producer in Vietnam. There were mixed responses to his online announcement. It looks like the rapper did not want to create a stir as his Instagram account was restricted as of Wednesday morning, with a notice that says “You must be 99 years old or over to see this profile.”

Microdot, whose real name is Shin Jae-ho, debuted in 2006 as a member of boy band All Black with rapper Dok2. He began to receive public spotlight after appearing on the sixth season of Mnet’s rap competition show “Show Me the Money.”

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]