Shin Dong-hyun (Korean: 신동현; born September 4, 1979), better known by his stage name MC Mong, is a South Korean hip hop recording artist, record producer, radio personality, actor and television personality who is known for his comic disposition and his upbeat songs.
[16] MC Mong wrote the single, "Jin Shil, Even If You're in Heaven," for the late actress Choi Jin-sil, who had committed suicide the year before.
[18] In 2010, MC Mong's career was put on hold when he was accused of evading South Korea's mandatory military service by having healthy teeth extracted to gain exemption.
Despite the album's popularity, MC Mong also received backlash from members of the public who were still angered over his alleged draft dodging.
[4] In September 2010, allegations regarding MC Mong's mandatory national service prompted the South Korean Military Manpower Administration (병무청) to conduct an investigation.
According to reporters, one of his dentists publicly stated that he received money from MC Mong to remove two teeth instead of repairing them.
On April 11, 2011, MC Mong was cleared of intentionally pulling out healthy teeth in order to be exempted from military duty but was sentenced to a suspended jail term of six months, probation for one year, and 120 hours of community service, for deliberately delaying enlistment on false grounds.
In the interview, he said that if gun ownership were legalised in South Korea, gay people should be shot dead, adding, "The Bible clearly states that [homosexuality] is a sin".
This was in violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, which states that amounts exceeding $10,000 must be reported to the relevant customs office when entering or leaving the country.
[25] In February 2024, MC Mong was fined three million won for refusing to appear as a witness in a fraud case involving golfer Ahn Sung-hyun.
Ahn had planned to acquire a 5% stake in Mong's company, BPM Entertainment, using investment provided by Kang Jong-hyun, another defendant in the case.
Mong, described as a "key witness", was summoned by the court on three occasions, but refused to appear each time, changing his phone number to avoid being contacted.
[26] Mong subsequently attended the trial, where he denied having any knowledge of the transactions between Ahn and Kang, and the court cancelled the fine.