Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Last we checked on Wheesung, things were not going well. He was found passed out in a bathroom after taking an anesthetic back in April of last year, and then about a few days later was found in a similar situation again. Now separate from those incidents, his propofol use has led to him being sentenced to probation, community service, and rehab.
On March 9, the Daegu District Court, Andong Branch sentenced Wheesung to a year in prison, suspended for two years, for charges of violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics, etc. This means that Wheesung will be spending two years in probation, but he will have to serve a one-year prison sentence if he violates the condition of the suspension during the probation.
Wheesung was also sentenced to 40 hours of community service, 40 hours of a drug treatment course, and an additional collection amount of 60.5 million won (approximately $53,200).
During his final trial on January 19, Wheesung had admitted to most of the charges related to habitual propofol use. The prosecution had requested a three-year prison sentence. He was ruled guilty on March 9 on charges of drug use, and the judge explained why the sentence was suspended.
The judge basically says he is committed to getting better.
Judge Cho Soon Pyo stated, “The defendant is a famous celebrity who has received attention and love from the public. He is therefore an influential person, and he should have shown greater determination to abide by the law and be a good role model, but he failed to do so.
“However, the defendant belatedly regrets his wrongdoing and he admitted himself into the hospital of his own accord and is receiving treatment. He is sincere in his intention to end the misuse of sleep anesthetics and the likelihood of a recurrence is very low, according to his physician. He has admitted to the crime and he has not received criminal punishment before. These factors were taken into consideration.”
Yeah, I’m hoping for the best. That said, he was investigated in 2013 for alleged habitual use of propofol dating back to 2011, and obviously seems to have been at least substituted different anesthetics since, so I really hope he’s getting the help he clearly needs.
