Yoo Ah-in released on probation following drug case appeal

Yoo Ah-in has been released from prison after five months as he received a reduced sentence for his drug case.

Korean media outlets Soompi and The Korea Times reported on Tuesday, Feb. 18 that the actor is out of jail. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 5 overturned the original ruling of one year in prison and granted him a one-year sentence with a two-year suspension after his appeal trial.

This means he will no longer serve the remaining months of his one-year jail sentence provided that he meets certain conditions during his two-year probation.

“Considering the motive, means, and consequences of the crime, as well as the circumstances following the offense, the sentence handed down in the first trial was excessively heavy and unjust,” the court stated, according to a Soompi report. 

The prosecutors initially requested a four-year prison sentence, but in September 2024, the Seoul Central District Court handed him one year of imprisonment and a fine of 2 million won (PhP80,000). 

Yoo was brought to trial in 2023 for illegal drug use. Investigation showed he tested positive for propofol, marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine. He was accused of using propofol on 181 occasions between 2020 and 2022 in professional clinics, disguising it as receiving sedation for cosmetic procedures.

Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, made his acting debut in the TV series Sharp back in 2004. He is best known for starring in movies Seoul Vibe (2022), #Alive (2020), Default (2018), and Veteran (2015), as well as K-dramas Hellbound (2021) and Chicago Typewriter (2017), among others.