'Repeated Drug Use' Yoo Ah-in, Sentence Reduced to Probation in 2nd Trial... Released After 5 Months

"The sentence imposed in the first trial was heavy... Unfairness acknowledged"

Actor Yoo Ah-in (real name Eom Hong-sik, 39), who was sentenced to prison and detained in the first trial on charges of habitual drug use, was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the appeal trial and will be released.

On the 18th, the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Kwon Soon-hyung, Ahn Seung-hoon, Shim Seung-woo) sentenced Yoo to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and a fine of 2 million won on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances), marijuana smoking and instigation, and evidence destruction instigation.

Previously, Yoo was sentenced to one year in prison, a fine of 2 million won, and a confiscation of about 1.5 million won in the first trial on September last year and was detained in court.

The court stated, "Considering various sentencing factors such as the motive, means and results of the crime, and circumstances after the crime, the sentence imposed in the first trial is heavy and unjust." Choi (34), who was indicted for smoking marijuana with Yoo, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension, the same as in the first trial.

Yoo was indicted in October last year on charges of habitual use of medical propofol and other drugs 181 times under the pretense of sedation for cosmetic procedures at hospitals around Seoul from September 2020 to March 2022. The amount of drugs used was investigated as 9,635.7 ml of propofol, 567 mg of midazolam, 11.5 mg of ketamine, and 200 mg of remimazolam.

He is also accused of illegally obtaining and purchasing about 1,100 tablets of two types of sleeping pills under other people's names 44 times from May 2021 to August 2023. He is also charged with smoking marijuana three times in the United States with Choi and others in January last year and instigating others to smoke.