Former BTOB member Jung Il-hoon. He submitted more than 80 letters of apology to the Seoul High Court in support of his appeal against a two-year jail term for using marijuana. Photo: courtesy of Twitter
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https://scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3160053/k-pop-star-jung-il-hoon-released-prison-after-winning-appeal News
K-pop star Jung Il-hoon released from prison after winning appeal against jail term for using marijuana
- Former member of boy band BTOB has two-year jail term for drug use suspended on appeal, with the court noting he was not a dealer and had voluntarily quit drugs
Former BTOB member Jung Il-hoon. Photo: courtesy of Twitter
By Dong Sun-hwa
Jung Il-hoon, a former member of K-pop boy group BTOB, has been given a suspended jail term for using marijuana.
On December 16 the Seoul High Court sentenced Jung, 27, to two years in jail, suspended for three years, overturning a lower court decision that put him behind bars for two years. Following the ruling, he was released. The court also ordered him to forfeit 126 million won (US$106,000) and complete 40 hours of drug treatment sessions.
“The lower court ruling should be overruled as it has a problem,” the court said. “Jung smoked marijuana for a long time, but he did not try to make a profit off it by selling or distributing it. And it seems he stopped using the drug voluntarily …
“He also has no prior criminal record and he has been enthusiastically taking online courses to prevent reoffending. While in jail for six months after the first ruling, he promised he would not use the drug again.”
Last year, Jung was accused of buying 133 million won worth of cannabis on 161 occasions between 2016 and 2019, together with seven other people. They are known to have bought the drug with cryptocurrency.
In June, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to two years in jail and ordered him to forfeit 133 million won, but Jung lodged an appeal and submitted more than 80 letters of apology.
Jung debuted as a member of BTOB in 2012 with the single Insane and as part of the group, he dropped a string of hits including Missing You (2017) and Only One for Me (2018). But he quit the act last year after being mired in the drug scandal.
Read the full story at the Korea Times