Korean actor Yoo Ah-in tests positive for marijuana
Korean star Yooh Ah-in has tested positive for marijuana during an investigation for his alleged use of propofol, a powerful anesthetic banned in South Korea.
According to Korean entertainment outlet Soompi, the Seoul Vibe and Hellbound actor underwent a urine and hair tests on Feb. 5 as part of a police investigation after he returned to South Korea from the United States.
On Feb.10, the police announced that his urine tested positive for marijuana, while the hair test results haven’t been finalized yet.
Five days before, on Feb. 5, the actor underwent a police investigation for his alleged use of propofol.
As part of the investigation, the police searched and seized doctor’s offices and clinics around Gangnam and Yongsan districts, which the they suspected of illegally administering propofol to the actor since 2021. Yoo Ah-in's alleged illegal use of drugs violates the Narcotics Control Act in South Korea, which states that users of the said illegal drugs can face up to five years in prison.
With this, the actor has been banned from leaving the country while the investigation is ongoing.
United Artist Agency, an entertainment label that manages Yoo Ah-in released statements regarding to the investigation.
“Recently, Yoo Ah In underwent police investigation pertaining to propofol," they wrote in a statement released on Feb. 9. “He is actively cooperating in all investigations regarding this and we plan to proactively address the aspects that are a problem."
"We apologize for causing concern," the agency concluded.
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. He has received numerous awards, including Actor of the Year at the Asian Artist Award in 2021, Best Actor at the Asian Film Award and Baek Sang Art Awards in the same year, and Best Actor at the Blue Dragon Awards in 2020.