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| Seo Min-jae, left, and the former WINNER member Nam Tae-hyun / Captured from Instagram |
By Pyo Kyung-min
Nam Tae-hyun, a former member of K-pop boy band WINNER, was indicted without detention for allegedly using illicit drugs, according to prosecutors, Thursday.
The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office revealed that they have indicted Nam and reality show star Seo Min-jae, without detention for violating the Narcotics Control Act. They are accused of purchasing and using methamphetamine together last August 2022. Nam is also suspected of using the drug alone in December.
"They admitted that they had administered the drug after purchasing it on a social media platform," the prosecution said. "Nam showed his strong determination to quit drugs by entering a rehabilitation center and informing audiences of the danger of drugs on a TV program. In Seo's case, she is a first-time offender and she has actively cooperated with the investigation. Considering these points, we decided to send them to trial without detention."
Initial suspicions of their drug use arose when Seo shared several Instagram posts last August, with one of them claiming Nam's use of methamphetamine. She added that a syringe used for it could be found in her room or in a company cabinet. Seo removed the post one day later, saying her judgment was impaired by psychiatric medications she had taken. However, some internet users reported it to the police, leading them to launch an investigation. The police sought arrest warrants for Nam and Seo in May, but the court rejected the request.
Nam debuted as a WINNER member in 2014 but left the group two years later. Seo made a name for herself on the reality show, "Heart Signal 3" (2020).
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