Yoo Ah-in sentenced to one year in prison for drug abuse

Yoo Ah-in is seen walking into the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Actor Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison by the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday for repeated drug use.

The court ordered Yoo's immediate detention after handing down the sentence, which included a one-year prison term, a 2 million won fine ($1,489) and a surcharge of 1.54 million won. Yoo was ordered to pay a surcharge for the value of items obtained illegally.

"Prescription narcotics, like propofol, are tightly controlled because of their potential for dependence and addiction. The defendant took advantage of weaknesses in the regulatory framework to commit the offense, which highlights the serious nature of the crime," the court was reported as saying on Tuesday.

"Furthermore, based on the documented circumstances, the defendant’s dependence on psychotropic drugs seems to be severe, indicating that there is a low likelihood of Yoo not committing the crime again. This concern is heightened by the fact that, despite clear warnings and explanations from medical professionals about the dangers of excessive propofol use since 2021, the defendant has continued to engage in the offenses," the court added.

However, the court added that it took into consideration the fact that Yoo has had a history of suffering from sleep disorder and depression.

"The court took into account that the defendant had suffered from sleep disorders and depression for an extended period, and that the primary motive for his actions appeared to be the pain from his inability to sleep," the court said.

"It was also considered that the defendant had openly confessed to his drug dependence and was making ongoing efforts to overcome it. Additionally, the court considered the fact that the defendant has no prior convictions for similar offenses and no previous criminal record exceeding a fine," said the court.

Asked by the court if he any final statement to make before imprisonment, Yoo was reported as saying, "I’m sorry for causing worry and concern to many people."

The 37-year-old actor was charged with abusing propofol, a drug used for inducing anesthesia, as well as midazolam, ketamine and remimazolam on a total of 181 occasions between 2020 and 2022, under the guise of cosmetic procedures.

Charges against him also include purchasing about 1,100 sleeping pills with prescriptions under other people's names from 2021 to 2022, and smoking marijuana while in the United States with four colleagues.

Yoo has two films pending release, "The Match" on Netflix and "Hi.5" in theaters.

According to Netflix, the release of sports film "The Match" is temporarily on hold. "The Match," featuring Lee Byung-hun and Yoo in the lead roles, tells the stories of Korean "Baduk," or go players.

NEW, the distributor of "Hi.5," a fantasy film starring Yoo which finished filming in 2021, also stated that they have yet to decide on a release date.

"We are currently monitoring how the situation will develop," a NEW official told The Korea Herald.

Yoo's agency, United Artists Agency, was unavailable for comment on their plans regarding Yoo's future activities.

Since his 2003 onscreen debut in an advertisement, Yoo has appeared in numerous hit Korean series and films such as "Secret Love Affair" (2014), "Veteran" (2015) and "The Throne" (2015). He clinched the best actor award at the 36th and the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards for his performance in "The Throne" and "Voice of Silence" (2020), respectively, and gained further popularity for his depiction of pseudo-religious leader Jin-soo in Netflix's hit fantasy series "Hellbound" (2021).

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)