Star T.O.P is spared jail over pot
Print Edition
SOUTH Korean pop star T.O.P yesterday received a 10-month suspended jail sentence for smoking marijuana multiple times last year, weeks after being hospitalized for a drugs overdose.
The 29-year-old rapper of K-pop boy band Big Bang had admitted in court to smoking marijuana on four occasions in his home in Seoul last October.
“As Choi has admitted to the charges, he is found guilty,” Yonhap news agency cited a Seoul judge as saying, referring to the singer by his real name, Choi Seung-hyun.
The judge added that crimes related to drugs require stiff punishment as they can have a “negative effect” on overall society, but said the singer’s deep regret over his actions had been taken into account.
Arriving at the court, Choi told reporters that he “sincerely regretted causing trouble” and apologized to his fans.
Both recreational and medical use of marijuana is illegal in South Korea, and smoking the banned substance is a crime punishable for up to five years in prison or a 50 million won (US$44,500) fine.
A day after being indicted on the charges of smoking marijuana last month, Choi was hospitalized following an apparent tranquilizer drugs overdose.
Choi, who had been serving mandatory military service as a policeman since February, now faces a police disciplinary review on whether he can resume his duties or be dishonorably discharged.
More than 60 years after the end of the Korean War, every South Korean man between 18 and 35 must perform two years of military service.
Big Bang is one of Korea’s most popular boy bands, having sold more than 140 million records worldwide since their debut in 2006.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
