Kim Sung-min handed suspended jail term for drug use

Actor Kim Sung-min [Platys Entertainment]

Actor Kim Sung-min was handed a suspended prison sentence on Friday for illegal import and use of drugs.The Seoul High Court handed a two and a half year jail term, suspended for four years, along with two years of probation, 120 hours of community service and 40 hours of drug treatment to the 38-year-old actor.Kim had originally been sentenced to two and a half years in jail which he accepted at first but appealed to after dissuasion from his family.Kim was arrested late last year and later found guilty for smoking marijuana and methamphetamine over several occasions while it was also discovered that he had smuggled the latter substance himself to Korea from the Philippines. "He has acknowledged his crime and has shown he is sorry for committing it...... Smuggling drugs is a grave crime but it was for personal possession, not profit so it has been decided that he should be given another chance," the judge explained of the reason for the reduced punishment.Kim had put fans and the entertainment industry into a state of shock since he had long maintained an image as a well-mannered and trustworthy actor with a cheerful and mild disposition. Kim, who debuted as a stage actor in 1995, had gained fame in 2002 after starring in "Miss Mermaid" and has since appeared in a steady number of movies and dramas including "Lotus Family (2004)," "Couple or Trouble (2006)," "Glory of the Family (2008)," and "What's for Dinner? (2009)"※ Any copying, republication or redistribution of 10Asia's content is expressly prohibited without prior consent of 10Asia. Copyright infringement is subject to criminal and civil penalties.Reporter : Lee Jong-gil leemean@Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>