Yoo Ah-in released after drugs sentence suspended

Yoo Ah-in. Image: Instagram/@hongsick

South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in was released from prison Tuesday, Feb. 18, after receiving a suspended sentence for the illegal use of the anaesthetic drug propofol, the Seoul High Court said.

Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was accused of using propofol on 181 occasions between 2020 and 2022. The drugs were administered at professional clinics, under the guise of having cosmetic procedures done.

He was found guilty in September by a lower court and sentenced to one year in prison with a fine of two million won ($1,400).

The Seoul Central District Court said at the time that Yoo had committed the offenses “in disregard of relevant regulations” and displayed a “lack of caution against drug substances.”

The high court, however, ordered Yoo to be released on Tuesday.

“He was handed out a one-year prison term, suspended for two years and a fine of two million won,” an official at the court told AFP.

“Considering various sentencing factors such as the motive, method, and consequences of the crime, as well as the circumstances following the offense, the court deems the initial ruling heavy and unfair,” said the judge, according to court pool reports.

The prosecution last year had sought a four-year jail sentence for the actor who featured in the Netflix series “Hellbound.”

A doctor who administered propofol to Yoo without a proper prescription was fined 40 million won last year.

Propofol, while primarily used as a surgical anaesthetic, is sometimes abused recreationally, often with the involvement of medical professionals who may be willing to provide it without a legitimate clinical need.

An overdose of the drug was cited as the cause of pop star Michael Jackson’s death in 2009.

Yoo, 38, rose to stardom in South Korea following his debut in 2003, starring in a range of television dramas and films across genres, and becoming one of the country’s most recognizable actors.

In court last year, he said he was “sorry for having caused concern to many people.”