Korean Hip Hop Artist Was Beaten Up In The Army Because Of His “Big Ears”

Rapper Code Kunst recently talked about his experiences during military service and revealed that he was often beaten up for no apparent reason.

On October 17, webtoon artist and TV personality Kian84 uploaded a video featuring Code Kunst and Loco on his YouTube channel. In the video, the three gathered and discussed their lives while drinking soju.

During the “soju interview,” Kian84 mentioned Loco’s time as a military policeman. Loco shared that through the difficult moments of military service, he gained strength from reading Kian84’s Nohbyeongga, a webtoon about military life.

While I was a military policeman, I read Nohbyeongga during tough times and gained strength.

— Loco

Kian84 then asked about violence in the military. Hazing in the South Korean military has been a longstanding issue, and efforts to address it have been ongoing. In the past, it was common for military personnel to bully, verbally abuse, and haze juniors to teach military discipline and hierarchy. However, it also led to many suicides, shooting sprees, and murders.

The South Korean government and military have periodically taken steps to address the problem, including introducing education programs, strengthening disciplinary measures, and encouraging a culture of respect and professionalism.

When Loco was asked if there were incidents of violence when he was in the military, Loco replied that he had it easy compared to Nohbyeonggah.

Compared to the webtoon, I realized I had it relatively easy… There was no hitting [when I became a senior].

— Loco

Hearing this, Code Kunst chimed in with his own experience. Unlike Loco, he was beaten up a lot, and the reasons for getting beaten didn’t make sense to him. Sometimes, he was beaten up just because a song with a Korean title that sounds like the word “ear” played.

I got beaten up a lot but the reasons for getting hit were never convincing. I got hit for having big ears. And I got hit because the song ‘One’s Way Back’ by Naul was playing.

— Code Kunst

Kian84 then asked Code Kunst what he did when he became a senior, and the rapper responded that he never hit any of his juniors.

Code Kunst debuted in 2013 after returning from his military service. In an interview from 2017, Code Kunst shared that he couldn’t listen to music while in the military, but his passion for music caused him to make music every time he came out on break.

I couldn’t listen to music at all in the military. That was incredibly stressful. I was so thirsty for music that even during breaks, I started making music myself. YouTube was my teacher. I was 24 at the time, and seeing people around me who were in music made me feel like I started late.

— Code Kunst in a 2017 interview

Since his debut, Code Kunst has released numerous albums, and he joined AOMG in 2018. He also has appeared in various television programs, such as Show Me the Money 777, where he was a judge, and I Live Alone.