On July 3, the final ruling in the case of South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in was announced, upholding the original sentence of one year in prison, suspended for two years, and a fine of 2 million KRW (approximately 10,560 CNY).
Earlier, according to China News Entertainment citing Korean media reports, the Supreme Court of Korea will hand down its verdict on July 3 against actor Yoo Ah-in (real name: Um Hong-sik, 39), who is suspected of drug addiction.
Yoo Ah-in was indicted for 181 injections of four medical anesthetics, including propofol, midazolam, and ketamine, between September 2020 and March of last year; and for illegally purchasing approximately 1,100 sleeping pills under another person’s name 44 times between May 2021 and August 2023.
The South Korean prosecution indicted Yoo Ah-in (real name: Um Hong-sik) for violating the Narcotics Control Act, smoking marijuana and abetting others to do so, and abetting the destruction of evidence. The prosecution asserted that the defendant, leveraging his wealth and fame as a celebrity, deceived doctors to illegally obtain narcotics under other people’s names, and even attempted to use his social influence to conceal his crimes. The prosecution requested the court to sentence Yoo Ah-in to four years’imprisonment, a fine of 2 million South Korean won, and the forfeiture of 1.54 million South Korean won.
Previously, in the first trial, Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison and detained in court, but in the second trial, his sentence was reduced to one year in prison with two years of probation, after which he was released. Due to the prosecution’s appeal of the second trial’s verdict, Yoo Ah-in must now face the Supreme Court’s decision.
Hi-Five marks Yoo Ah-in’s return to the screen following his involvement in a narcotics controversy. The film, directed by renowned South Korean director Kang Hyung-chul, tells the story of ordinary people who unexpectedly gain superpowers and embark on an adventure. It is anticipated to be a key project in the South Korean film market this year.
On April 22, the organizing committee of the 23rd Directors Cut Awards responded to Yoo Ah-in’s nomination for Best Actor for the film””Victory and Defeat””. The committee stated that the nominees were selected through voting by film directors. This year, there were 121 nominees for Best Actor, and no evaluations were made based on factors outside the film itself. “While there are diverse opinions in society, we have not falsified the results.”
Yoo Ah-in, a South Korean actor, was born on October 6,1986, in Daegu, South Korea. He studied at Konkuk University’s Department of Arts and Dankook University’s Department of Theatre and Film.
In November 2003, Yoo Ah-in officially debuted as an actor with the coming-of-age drama”Ok-rim’s Growth Diary.” He began to emerge in the film industry from 2011 onwards.
In 2014, Yoo Ah-in unexpectedly landed the lead role in the film *The Throne*, a script previously declined by Kim Soo-hyun. This performance earned him the Best Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, one of South Korea’s three major film festivals, propelling his career to greater heights. Subsequently, he was nominated multiple times for South Korea’s three major film awards: the Grand Bell Awards, the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the Baeksang Arts Awards, ultimately winning all three. This made him the most sought-after actor of his generation.
In February 2023, Yoo Ah-in was investigated by the police for allegedly illegally using propofol and was subsequently banned from leaving the country. The subsequent investigation revealed that Yoo Ah-in had been using drugs for an extended period, beginning in 2021.