'I reflect deeply': Singer Kim Bada announces comeback ahead of first trial on cannabis charges

Singer Kim Bada (55, real name Kim Jeong-nam), who faces charges of possessing and smoking cannabis, has announced his return to performing and issued an apology about a month before his first trial.

Kim posted on his SNS account Monday, saying he had "spent a great deal of time thinking and reflecting deeply" and that the incident in March had caused "worry and pain to those who cherished and trusted" him.

"The wounds left in someone's heart, and the version of myself I need to take care of — neither can be erased by time alone," he wrote. "Over this period, I have looked at my life anew and thought hard about what kind of person I should be."

He added that he would not take for granted "the hearts that watched over me in silence, the hearts that worried about me, and the hearts that waited for my music again." "Ultimately, what I can do is show it slowly — not through words, but through my actions, my life, and my music going forward," he said.

Kim was apprehended around 8:30 p.m. on March 8 at a location in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, on suspicion of possessing and smoking cannabis. Police applied for an arrest warrant, but the court rejected it, citing insufficient grounds for detention — specifically, a lack of evidence showing a risk of flight or destruction of evidence.

He was indicted without detention in July and is set to appear for his first trial at the Sokcho branch of Chuncheon District Court on Oct. 28.

After news of his arrest broke, Kim announced in April that he was parting ways with his agency and fellow band members, saying he "deeply reflected on and was sorry for the lapse in judgment that led to this situation."

Kim debuted as the fifth lead vocalist of rock band Sinawe in 1996 and remained with the group until 1999. He went on to perform with the bands Nabihyogwa, Raysios and Art of Parties, and also pursued a solo career.

Kim had previously been convicted on similar charges — smoking cannabis with acquaintances and purchasing it through them between 2008 and 2009 — and received a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years.

At the time, he avoided prison on the condition of probation, with the court taking into account that it was his first offense and that the cannabis was purchased for personal use rather than retail distribution.