K-Pop star Park Yoo-chun given suspended sentence for drugs

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – Park Yoo-chun, a former member of the South Korean boy band JYJ, received a 10-month suspended sentence on Tuesday for illegal drug use.

Suwon District Court also ordered the 33-year-old star to undergo probation and treatment.

“Drug-related crimes need to be harshly punished because of the significant addiction and harmful effects they have on individuals and society, and it seems that the suspect was doing drugs for a while,” Judge Kim Doo-hoong said in his ruling.

But he said Park acknowledged his crime and was remorseful, and, because it was his first conviction, a suspended sentence should suffice as a punishment.

Yonhap news agency said Park was indicted in May on charges of purchasing and injecting 1.5 grams of methamphetamine with his former girlfriend.

Park briefly teared up and apologized to his fans after leaving the court following the sentence. Media reports said more than 50 South Korean and Japanese fans filled the small courtroom.