Ex-BTOB member Ilhoon facing up to 4 years in prison for marijuana use

Former BTOB member Ilhoon (Image: Instagram/@ilhoonmj)

Former BTOB member Ilhoon may be sentenced to up to four years in prison for purchasing and using marijuana.

Prosecutors “demand four years in prison” for the K-pop star, as heard in the final hearing for his marijuana charges yesterday, May 20, as per Korean entertainment outlet Soompi on the same day.

They are also requesting that Ilhoon pay 133 million won (around $117,800 or P5.6 million) in fines.

He and seven others were brought to trial for purchasing and using 826 grams of marijuana, which they apparently bought for around 130 million won (around $115,000 or P5.5 million) across 161 instances from July 5, 2016, to Jan. 9, 2019, the report said.

Ilhoon, who admitted to all charges on the first hearing on April 22, has since apologized to his fans and loved ones for the said crime.

“The defendant is bitterly regretting it. He suffered a great deal of stress while promoting in the entertainment industry as a songwriter and trainee from a young age, and he tried to relieve the stress in the wrong way,” Ilhoon was quoted as saying in his final testimony.

The court will decide and announce Ilhoon’s sentence on June 10, according to the report.

Ilhoon, who enlisted in the South Korean military in May 2020, is currently completing his mandatory service. Cube Entertainment announced Ilhoon’s exit from BTOB last December. Ian Biong /ra

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