Actor Yoo Ah-in (real name Eom Hong-sik, 39) has been released after being sentenced to a suspended prison term in an appeals court, while his movie 'Victory' (directed by Kim Hyung-joo) is also set to be released.
The film 'Victory', which features Lee Byung-hun and marks Yoo Ah-in's first collaboration, has garnered attention as the first movie about Go players Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho, and it will premiere on March 26.
The film depicts the story of the legendary Go player Cho Hun-hyun (played by Lee Byung-hun) who, after losing to his disciple Lee Chang-ho (played by Yoo Ah-in), challenges to regain his title.
Filming was completed in 2021, and the film was initially scheduled to be released on Netflix in 2023. However, the release was continuously delayed due to Yoo Ah-in's trial for alleged propofol use. Ultimately, the film shifted from Netflix to a theatrical release, and it is now being distributed by By4M Studio. Director Kim Hyung-joo, known for 'The Sheriff', is at the helm, with director Yoon Jong-bin contributing to the screenplay.
However, Yoo Ah-in's other lead film 'High Five' is still in limbo.
Meanwhile, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 5 (Chief Judge Kwon Soon-hyung, An Seung-hoon, Sim Seung-woo) sentenced Yoo Ah-in on the 18th to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and a fine of 2 million won for violations of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances). Additionally, he was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and drug education lectures.
The appellate court upheld the original ruling, recognizing Yoo Ah-in's habitual use of medical narcotics and the habitual purchase of sleeping pills under another person's name as guilty. However, it ruled him not guilty of charges related to instructing marijuana use and evidence destruction due to insufficient evidence.
The court stated, "Yoo Ah-in has suffered from sleep disorders and depression for a long time, and it appears that he used pentamin for sleep treatment purposes. Furthermore, considering that the defendant does not show dependency on drugs and is unlikely to reoffend, the time he spent in detention for over five months reflecting on his actions, and the fact that he has not been punished for similar crimes, the sentence imposed in the first trial is deemed excessive," explaining the reasons for the sentencing.
Yoo Ah-in is accused of habitually using medical propofol and other substances 181 times under the pretext of sleep anesthesia at hospitals in Seoul from September 2020 to March 2022. He is also accused of illegally obtaining prescriptions for two types of sleeping pills under another person's name 44 times, purchasing over 1,100 doses from May 2021 to August last year. In January of this year, he was also charged with smoking marijuana three times in the U.S. with acquaintances and instructing others to smoke.
