'O Jaewon' Sentenced to Prison Again in Second Trial for Drug Use... Court: "Crime is Serious"

Former professional baseball player and national team member Oh Jae-won (39), who was prosecuted on charges including drug use, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in the second trial as well.

Former professional baseball player and national team member Oh Jae-won, accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act and other charges. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 20th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 7 (Presiding Judges Lee Jae-kwon, Song Mi-kyung, Kim Seul-gi) sentenced Oh, who was detained and prosecuted for violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances) and other charges, to 2 years and 6 months in prison, the same as the first trial. The court stated, "The nature and consequences of the crime are too serious," and added, "It is difficult to see the need to change the original sentence."

Oh was prosecuted for using methamphetamine 11 times from November 2022 to November last year, and for storing about 0.4g of methamphetamine in a fire hydrant in the hallway of an acquaintance's apartment in April last year. From January last year to March this year, he also received 2,242 tablets of Stilnox (a sleep-inducing drug containing zolpidem), a psychotropic medicine, from nine acquaintances over 89 occasions, and is charged with purchasing 20 tablets of Stilnox using a false name. He is also accused of assaulting and threatening his accomplice A, who tried to report the drug use to the police.