Actor Yoo Ah-in (37, real name Eom Hong-sik), who was sentenced to prison in the first trial on charges of habitual drug use, appealed for leniency in the second appellate trial and refuted the prosecution’s argument that the sentence was low.
Today (19th) morning, Seoul High Court Criminal Division 5 (Chief Kwon Soon-hyung, Ahn Seung-hoon, and Shim Seung-woo) held the second trial for the appeal of Yoo Ah-in, who was indicted on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.
Yoo Ah-in, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial and is serving prison time, appeared in court wearing a shroud that day. He wore round glasses and had short hair that showed all of his head. The accomplice, Mr. Choi, was dressed in a suit.
Yoo Ah-in’s lawyer acknowledged the charges, but refuted the prosecution’s claims of “unfair sentencing” point by point, saying they were unfair.
Following the previous trial, Yoo Ah-in’s lawyer argued again that “the original trial’s sentence was unjust because it was too heavy.” The defense lawyer said, “The prosecutor is claiming that the defendant used his financial resources to use drugs in a place beyond the reach of investigative agencies. He admits his mistake in taking drugs and is deeply reflecting on it. However, he smoked marijuana out of curiosity while traveling abroad.” “It was not a use of financial resources,” he said.
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The lawyer said, “In order to bring joy and emotion to the public, I was unable to take care of myself, so I suffered from sleeping problems and made wrong choices, but as an actor, I suffered a huge blow to my life and have to live with the stinging gaze.” “In addition, please consider that the price the defendant will pay is enormous, incomparable to that of the general public,” he said.
He also said, “I suffered the pain of my father’s death due to this incident. I have to live in a prison of guilt that my father’s condition worsened and he passed away because of me, but there can be no greater punishment than this.”
Yoo Ah-in is accused of habitually administering medical propofol 181 times at hospitals in Seoul from September 2020 to March 2022 under the pretext of anesthesia. He is also suspected of illegally prescribing and purchasing approximately 1,100 tablets of two types of sleeping pills in the name of another person 44 times from May 2021 to August of last year.
In January of this year, he was accused of smoking marijuana three times in the United States with an acquaintance. In the first trial, Yoo Ah-in was found guilty of smoking marijuana, habitual use of medical narcotics, and habitual purchase in the name of another person. However, he was acquitted on the charges of teaching marijuana smoking and destroying evidence due to lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, the next hearing is on the 28th. The trial on this day will mainly focus on determining whether YouTuber Yang has been requested as a witness and whether evidence is needed.
Reporter Song Mi-hee tinpa@bntnews.co.kr
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Thank you for the opportunity to conduct this interview on behalf of world-today-news.com. Today, we have two esteemed guests with us – Mr. Kwon Soon-hyung, the president of the Korean Association of Criminology, and Mr. Choi, a reputable drug counselor. We will discuss the recent developments in the case of actor Yoo Ah-in, who has been charged with habitual drug use and is currently undergoing an appeal process.
Mr. Kwon, as an expert in the field of criminology, what are your views on the appropriateness of Yoo Ah-in’s initial sentence in the first trial? Do you believe the sentencing was justified, considering his celebrity status and the nature of the offense?
Mr. Choi, considering that Yoo Ah-in’s initial sentence has been deemed “too heavy” by the defense’s lawyer, what are the possible outcomes for celebrity drug offenders in similar situations? Do they face more severe punishments due to their public image?
Moving on to Yoo Ah-in’s allegations of using financial resources to procure drugs “beyond the reach of investigative agencies,” how common is this method of obtaining illegal substances among celebrities and high-profile individuals? Do you believe it should result in harsher penalties?
Mr. Kwon, as someone familiar with the legal system, what are the implications of Yoo Ah-in’s claim that smoking marijuana was out of curiosity while traveling abroad? Can this be considered a valid defense in court?
Mr. Choi, as a drug counselor, how would you assess Yoo Ah-in’s statement about using drugs to cope with the pressure of his career and personal life? Do you think there are alternatives to drug usage that celebrities can resort to in such situations?
In the second part of the interview, we would like to focus on Yoo Ah-in’s statement about the impact of his actions on his family, particularly his father’s death. Mr. Kwon, do you believe that the pain of one’s family members should be taken into consideration during sentencing? How does the court typically handle such circumstances?
Mr. Choi, as a drug counselor, do you
