A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced singer Nam Tae-hyun and reality show star Seo Min-jae to suspended prison terms for purchasing and taking illegal drugs.
Nam, 30, and Seo, 31, were indicted over allegations that they purchased 0.5 grams of methamphetamine through Telegram, and took it together in August 2022. Nam is also accused of using 0.2 g of the drug alone in December the same year.
Police launched an investigation after receiving a tipoff from internet users of a then deleted Instagram post by Seo, which claimed Nam was taking drugs and the syringe used for the drug was in her room or a company cabinet.
The Seoul Western District Court sentenced Nam to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and Seo to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years.
“The defendants, as a famous singer and influencer with the potential to have great impact on many fans or the public, committed a crime which could negatively impact society,” the court said.
Nam said he does not plan to appeal the sentence.
“I
am sorry,” he said as he was leaving the court after the ruling. “I am not sure what I can do from now on, but I vow to make a living by making a good impact on society.”
Nam was a member of the K-pop boy band WINNER from 2014 to 2016, before he departed the group and formed his own band, South Club, in 2017. Seo is an influencer who gained recognition after appearing on the third season of the widely popular dating reality show “Heart Signal,” which aired on Channel A in 2020.
Source: Yonhap News Agency