Yoo Ah-in's father dies while the star faces 4 years in prison for assault

Yoo Ah-in: death of his father, new assault charges
Yoo Ah-in is facing a 4-year prison sentence
New progress
Yoo Ah-in's drug use got him cancelled
Who is Yoo Ah-in?
Early life
Origin of stage name
Entering the industry
First acting job
Hiatus
Prestigious actor
Famous works
2023 drug scandal
Propofol
Drug use in Korea
Dropped and cut from roles
Drug use due to poor mental health
Mentality may change over time
Shadow of Lee Sun-kyun looms
July 2024: Sentencing
Final result will be out in September 3
Dealing with father's passing
A lot on his shoulders
Yoo Ah-in: death of his father, new assault charges

This has not been a good month for South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, who is now dealing with the death of his father on top of facing new accusations and a prison sentence following the latest update on his drug use controversy.

Content warning: This gallery contains mentions of s e xual abuse.

Yoo Ah-in is facing a 4-year prison sentence

The investigation into South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in's drug use has concluded, with the celebrity facing up to four years in prison and fines totalling about 3.5 million won. This happened on July 24, reports Sports Chosun.

New progress

However, the actor is potentially facing a new set of charges unrelated to drugs. Just days after the update on his drug use case, Yoo Ah-in has been accused of s e xually assaulting a 30-year-old man on July 26, reports the Korea Times.

Yoo Ah-in's drug use got him cancelled

To recap, Yoo Ah-in is the latest Korean celebrity to be under scrutiny for a drug scandal. Allkpop reports that his doctor has come forward to add that the actor has been suffering from severe depression, which has led to his drug use.

Who is Yoo Ah-in?

Yoo Ah-in is a South Korean actor. He is considered one of the country’s most prolific stars, as he managed to land second place on Forbes' Korea Power Celebrity List in 2016.

Early life

Yoo Ah-in was born on October 6, 1986, in Daegu, South Korea.

Origin of stage name

His birth name was Uhm Hong-sik, but he goes by his stage name instead. 'Her World' reports that his manager found his birth name too traditional for the entertainment scene.

Entering the industry

Yoo Ah-in's beginnings in the industry started when he was scouted on the street, reports Star Today. Did you know that he was also once scouted to be a K-pop idol?

First acting job

According to Newsen, Yoo Ah-in got his first acting job in the KBS2 drama 'Sharp'. This gained him popularity, which led to more roles in several other dramas, such as 'April Kiss'.

Hiatus

However, Yoo Ah-in decided to go on a hiatus later due to being confused about what to do with his popularity and whether he should pursue acting seriously… which he eventually did, reports Yonhap News.

Prestigious actor

Fast forward: Yoo Ah-in has become one of K-entertainment’s most sought-after and influential actors, with winning more than 30 accolades for his acting work.

Famous works

Some of Yoo Ah-in’s most famous works include 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal', 'Veteran', 'The Throne', and the latest, 'Hellbound'.

Image: Netflix

2023 drug scandal

Unfortunately, in October 2023, Yoo Ah-in was embroiled in a drug scandal, as were several other Korean celebrities such as Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon, reports Forbes.

Image: hongsick / Instagram

Propofol

The Korea Herald added that Yoo Ah-in had been under investigation for illegal use of propofol, an anesthetic drug. Eventually, however, he was discovered to have taken grass too, as well as other hard drugs, in March 2024.

Drug use in Korea

Drug use is heavily frowned upon in South Korean society, and this has led to severe consequences for Yoo Ah-in’s career.

Image: hongsick / Instagram

Dropped and cut from roles

The Straits Times reports that Yoo Ah-in’s involvement in ‘Goodbye Earth’ has been halted despite his role being a major one in the series. He has also been dropped from the next installment of 'Hellbound'.

Image: Netflix

Drug use due to poor mental health

According to Allkpop, Yoo Ah-in's psychiatrist testified that the actor was prescribed psychiatric substances in 2021 due to severe depression caused by work-related stress. He therefore implied that the star's drug use began due to poor mental health and worsened later.

Mentality may change over time

It is unclear how the case will conclude. Nowadays, there's more awareness of the relationship between celebrities' mental health and work stress, as well as the use of substances following these circumstances.

Shadow of Lee Sun-kyun looms

K-entertainment has already received negative press as a result of Lee Sun-kyun's drug scandal, which led to the actor's death. The demise of his colleague, combined with what we know about his mental health, may change the way Yoo Ah-in's case is handled.

July 2024: Sentencing

In a July 2024 update on his case, Allkpop says that the prosecution has proposed that Yoo Ah-in face a four-year prison sentence and fines of over 3.5 million. However, the actor's lawyers aim to appeal for leniency in the sentencing, citing the actor's mental health and willingness to commit to sobriety.

Final result will be out in September 3

However, the final result of the sentencing for the drug use case against Yoo Ah-in will only be announced on September 3, JTBC reports. The Korea JoongAng Daily reports that police are currently investigating the assault accusation against the actor, which he has since denied.

Dealing with father's passing

Meanwhile, Yoo Ah-in has received additional tragic news: his father died on August 7 after battling a chronic illness, according to Soompi.

Image: CJ Entertainment

A lot on his shoulders

This is really bad news for the Yoo Ah-in, especially given the new potential charges and prison sentence for drug usage, which was inadvertently related to his poor mental health.

Image: CJ Entertainment