Yoo Ah In is Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison

South Korean actor Yoo Ah In, 37, trial for drug use has finally come to an end. The guilty verdict was announced at the Seoul Central District Court yesterday afternoon.

He was accused of abusing the anesthetic Propofol 181 times from September 2020 to March 2022. From May 2021 to August 2022, he obtained more than 1,100 sleeping pills illegally prescribed in the name of others. He and his friend Choi Ha Na, as well as four friends, smoked marijuana and were suspected of encouraging others to smoke it as well. The pair was also suspected of instigating their four friends to destroy the evidence once they were caught.

The judge believed severe punishment was inevitable after taking into account the time, frequency, method, and dosage of Yoo Ah In’s crimes, , as Yoo Ah In took advantage of the weaknesses of the Medical Drug Management Act to commit his crimes. The judge called the nature of the actor’s crimes “heinous” and suspects he may re-offend due to his heavy reliance on antipsychotic drugs.

Yoo Ah In smiled when he appeared in the court and did not answer reporters’ questions. The prosecutor had previously asked for four years in prison and a fine of 2 million Korean won on the grounds that Yoo Ah In was a habitual drug user. Since he was a first-time offender, some Korean media estimated that he may be sentenced to a suspended sentence.

However, the judge sentenced Yoo Ah In to immediate imprisonment for 1 year and 2 million Korean won. He also has to pay a levy fee of about 1.55 Korean won, and is required to undergo an 80-hour drug rehabilitation course.

After the sentencing, Yoo Ah In said, “I’m sorry for causing so many people to worry.” As for his close friend Choi Ha Na, who was prosecuted together with him, he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and required to take a 40-hour drug rehabilitation course.

In addition to his drug abuse case, Yoo Ah In was accused of sexual assault by a man in his 30s this July. The actor firmly denied the accusation and the assault case is still pending. Due to his scandals, his movies Hi.5 and The Match remain unscheduled for release.

Source: [1]

This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.