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

Actor Yoo Ah-in arrives at the Seoul Central District Court to appear in court on September 3. Reporter Jeong Hyo-jin

Actor Yoo Ah-in (38), who went on trial for habitual drug use, was sentenced to one year in prison at the first trial.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoo to one year in prison and a fine of 2 million won on September 3r on charges of violating the law on drug management, smoking marijuana, and destroying evidence. He was also ordered to complete an 80-hour drug rehabilitation program and pay an additional fine worth 1.54 million won. The court said, “There is a risk of escape because he was sentenced to prison.”

“I apologize for any worry I've caused,” Yoo said when asked by the court if he had any last words.

Yoo was on trial for allegedly administering propofol and other drugs 181 times between September 2020 and January last year in the name of sleep anesthesia for cosmetic procedures. The actor was also accused of obtaining sleeping pills under someone else’s name 44 times between May 2021 and August 2022. He was also accused of encouraging his companions to smoke cannabis while in the U.S. and ordering an acquaintance to destroy evidence.

“In light of the duration, number, method, and amount of the crimes, we judged that severe punishment was inevitable,” the court said. ”Medical narcotics such as propofol are strictly managed by relevant laws due to their dependence or addictive properties, and Yoo committed the crimes by taking advantage of the loopholes in the management methods set by the law, which is not good.” It also added, "It is difficult to say that the risk of recidivism is low due to his serious dependence on psychotropic drugs. However, it is taken into account that he has suffered from sleep disorders and depression for a long time, and his main motivation for habitually taking and purchasing medical narcotics was the pain of not being able to sleep.”

The court acquitted Yoo of charges that he ordered his acquaintances to smoke marijuana or destroy evidence, saying, “It is difficult to believe that the prosecution‘s case was sufficiently proven.” Earlier, prosecutors had asked for four years in prison. “He used his wealth and fame as a domestic celebrity to deceive doctors and illegally acquire drugs in the name of others with a cost of 500 million won,” the prosecution said. ”He also committed illegal acts to cover up his crimes with social influence.”

During the trial, Yoo’s defense admitted to taking propofol, but said he “never took it without a doctor‘s consent,” mentioning that he suffered from depression and sleep disorders.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.