[News Today] YOO AH-IN JAILED FOR DRUG USE

[LEAD]
Actor Yoo Ah-in has been sentenced to one year in prison and taken into custody following a conviction on habitual drug abuse charges. The court stated that Mr. Yoo exploited loopholes in the law to commit his crimes.

[REPORT]
Actor Yoo Ah-in has been very active on both the big and small screens since his debut in 2003.

But he was put on trial last October after being charged for habitually using propofol 181 times under the pretext of being sedated for cosmetic procedures. He also illegally bought about 1,100 sleeping pills under other people's names.

He avoided arrest twice over the course of investigation.

Yoo Ah-in/ Actor (May 2023)
I respect and thank the court for its decision.

Yoo Ah-in/ Actor (Sept. 2023)
I respect the court's decision.

But he was sentenced to one year in prison and was taken into custody upon the ruling.

The court found him guilty on all charges of abusing and buying illegal drugs and smoking marijuana.

The court said his crime was severe because he ignored drug regulations and exploited legal loopholes. It added that heavy punishment was inevitable given the duration and frequency of his crime.

However, the court took into consideration that he started taking those drugs to relieve insomnia and other sleep disorders.

He was also found not guilty of coercing others to buy and smoke marijuana and to destroy evidence.

When asked if he had anything to say after the sentencing, the actor said, after some hesitation, that he was sorry for causing concern to many people.

Yoo's friend, who was charged along with the actor for smoking marijuana, was sentenced to eight months behind bars with two years of probation.