"Even Said They Wanted to Run Away from the Filming Site"
Teacher Accused of Marijuana Smoking and Evidence Tampering Denies Charges
Actor Yoo Ah-in (37, real name Eom Hong-sik) testified about his mental health condition and medical treatment situation through Dr. Oh, who prescribed him medical narcotics.
On the afternoon of the 14th, the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court held the 5th trial of Yoo Ah-in, who was indicted on charges including habitual propofol use, illegal prescription and purchase of sleeping pills under another person's name, marijuana smoking instruction, and evidence destruction instruction.
Actor Yoo Ah-in (real name Eom Hong-sik), who is accused of habitual drug use, is attending the 5th trial of the first instance held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 14th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Yoo Ah-in appeared in court wearing a black suit and sporting a short hairstyle. When asked by reporters, "Are you still denying the charges?" he briefly replied, "It is as has been known so far. Sorry I cannot say much each time," and then moved away.
At this trial, the doctor who prescribed medical narcotics to Yoo Ah-in appeared as a witness. Dr. Oh explained the initial meeting by saying, "(Yoo Ah-in) said he had difficulty sleeping," and "He visited to treat chronic depression, palpitations, tightness, breathing difficulties, and panic symptoms when meeting people." He added that before Yoo Ah-in’s visit, they were not personally acquainted, stating, "I only knew he was a famous actor. I did not know him personally. We never met separately."
Dr. Oh also said that since Yoo Ah-in first visited the hospital on June 29, 2021, he continuously complained of depression at every visit. He explained that Yoo Ah-in always said he wanted to escape even on drama filming sites and had been thinking about death for a long time.
When Yoo Ah-in’s lawyer asked, "How severe were the depression, anxiety, and anxiety disorder based on counseling or scale test results when Yoo Ah-in first came to the hospital?" Dr. Oh replied, "It was a serious level," and added, "Because he honestly expressed his inner depressive symptoms, the counseling sessions were longer than those of other celebrities, which was a distinguishing factor."
Regarding the question from the defense, "Did you know that Yoo Ah-in had been administered sleeping anesthesia drugs at other hospitals before the problem arose?" Dr. Oh answered, "No, I did not."
Yoo Ah-in was non-detained indicted on charges of receiving medical narcotics 181 times between September 2020 and March 2022 at hospitals around Seoul, claiming it was for sedation during cosmetic procedures. The amounts investigated include 9,635.7 mL of propofol, 567 mg of midazolam, 11.5 mL of ketamine, and 200 mg of remimazolam. He is also charged with illegally obtaining and purchasing over 1,100 sleeping pills, including Stilnox and Xanax tablets, 44 times under another person’s name from May 2021 to August 2023. Along with four accomplices, including acquaintance Choi, he is accused of smoking marijuana in the U.S. and instructing others to smoke it.
Yoo Ah-in partially admitted to marijuana and propofol use charges at the 2nd trial but denied the remaining charges such as marijuana smoking instruction and evidence destruction instruction. Regarding this, Yoo Ah-in’s defense lawyer argued, "Yoo Ah-in did not encourage or force anyone; it was a situation where the parties could make their own choices." They especially claimed that the medical narcotics use was due to receiving various medical treatments for depression and panic disorder.
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