Actor Yoo Ah In has been released from prison after serving five months following a victory in his appeals trial.
The Seoul High Court held an appeals trial for Yoo Ah In’s charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, ruling that he would be sentenced to probation, a fine of ₩2.00 million KRW (about $1,390 USD) with an additional penalty of ₩1.55 million KRW (about $1,070 USD), 80 hours of community service, and 40 hours of rehabilitation classes. He was originally sentenced to one year in prison.
Yoo Ah In appeared in court wearing a light blue prison uniform, glasses, and a shaved head. He spoke rarely, speaking just to confirm his birthdate and instead kept his head down throughout the trial. When the verdict was announced, he bowed to the judge and shook hands with his lawyer.
Yoo Ah In would habitually use drugs intended for medical purposes such as propofol. He committed a crime by obtaining the drugs by using the names of his family and friends. This is a serious crime.
However, he has also suffered from sleep disorders and depression for a long time. It appears that he used this drug for treatment purposes so that he could sleep properly.
He currently does not show any dependency on drugs, so we determined he would not repeat the crime. We have also taken into account that he has had time to reflect on his actions during his more than five months in prison, and that he is not a repeat offender.
— Seoul High Court
Yoo Ah In was originally sentenced to one year in prison after being caught using propofol 181 times without proper prescriptions. He was also charged with obtaining prescription medication using someone else’s identity and smoking marijuana overseas. The charge for smoking marijuana was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
