First conviction in K-pop scandal, with Park Yoo-chun getting two-year probation

The K-pop scandal, which broke in January, is moving into the punishment stage.

On Tuesday (July 2), actor-singer Park Yoo-chun, 33, was sentenced to two years of probation and fined US$1,200 (S$1,627) over drug use.

He was accused of buying and taking drugs with ex-fiancee Hwang Ha-na, a socialite, on six occasions in 2019.

The prosecutors requested a year and six months in prison for Park, who did not contest the charges.

While the judge observed that drug-taking was a serious offence, he decided that a suspended jail sentence would suffice for the artist, given that he cooperated with the authorities and was a first-time offender, reported South Korean media.

Park, who had been held in a detention centre since April 26, was in an apologetic mood after he was freed.

The tired-looking singer brushed away tears when he told journalists outside the court that he would work hard to regain the trust of his fans.

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While netizens posted words of encouragement, some were upset that he had got off lightly, given the devastating effects of drug-taking on society.

Park had also not come clean in April, when he denied that he was a drug user and that he did not send money to a drug dealer.

While the court has dealt with Park's case, cases involving other artists - from former BigBang singer Seungri, 28, to former FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon, 29 - are still winding their way through the legal system.

Seungri is accused of embezzlement and procurement of prostitutes for would-be investors of his businesses.

The scandal has also forced Yang Hyun-suk, founder of South Korea's YG Entertainment which manages many top artists, to step down.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.