Rumors circulated about the return of actor Yoo Ah-in, who has been on a self-imposed hiatus after receiving a suspended prison sentence on charges of drug use, but his agency immediately denied them.
On the 17th, a representative of Yoo's agency UAA said regarding the comeback rumors that "nothing has been decided." That morning, one outlet reported that Yoo would return through director Jang Jae-hyun's new film "Vampyr," slated to shoot next year.
Director Jang Jae-hyun is known for directing the films Exhuma and "Svaha: The Sixth Finger." However, following the agency, Jang's side also drew a line under the report, saying, "It is not true, and nothing has been set yet."
From September 2020 to March 2023, Yoo stood trial on charges of administering medical narcotics—propofol, ketamine, and midazolam—181 times at hospitals around Seoul by disguising them as sedation for cosmetic procedures. The case also included charges that he used someone else's identity to illegally obtain prescriptions and purchase more than 1,100 sleeping pills on 44 occasions.
In addition, Yoo was indicted on charges of using marijuana in the United States with an acquaintance, coercing companions to smoke, and ordering the destruction of evidence when the case surfaced.
In the first trial last year, the court found him not guilty of instigating marijuana smoking and instigating evidence destruction, but found him guilty of habitual drug use. At the time, the court said, "The defendant exploited loopholes in the law governing medical narcotics to commit the crimes, which reflects poorly on the nature of the offenses. The dependence on psychotropic drugs appears very serious, raising a high risk of recidivism," and sentenced him to one year in prison.
However, the appellate court said, "The defendant spent five months in detention reflecting on his actions, and considering the circumstances that led to and surrounded the crimes, the sentence is recognized as unduly heavy and improper," reducing it to one year in prison, suspended for two years. Prosecutors appealed, but the Supreme Court also found the decision proper and finalized the verdict.