Singer-actor Park Yoo-chun arrested over drug use
Park Yoo-chun appears at Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, April 26, to attend a an arrest warrant hearing regarding his alleged use of illegal drugs. Yonhap
Park Yoo-chun, an actor and former member of boy band JYJ was arrested Friday over his alleged use of illegal drugs.
Suwon District Court issued a warrant for the 33-year-old Park over allegations that he took the drugs together with the granddaughter of the founder of a dairy producer.
Park is accused of purchasing 1.5 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between last February and March, together with Hwang Ha-na, the arrested granddaughter of the founder and honorary chairman of Namyang Dairy Products Co., and of using the drug five times.
The court said he presented a flight risk and could destroy evidence if released from custody.
A National Forensic Agency drug test on a sample of Park's body hair, obtained in police raid on his house earlier this month, tested positive for methamphetamine, a banned substance in South Korea.
Police requested an arrest warrant for him Tuesday, citing the risk of him destroying evidence.
Investigators raided Park's home in Hanam, east of Seoul, April 16, to search his car and mobile phone and collect the hair sample.
He has stubbornly denied the drug charges against him.
Park faced drug allegations after the 31-year-old Hwang was arrested April 6 on charges of buying methamphetamine and using the illegal substance in 2015. She reportedly confessed to police that an entertainment star was behind her drug use.
According to police officers, Hwang made detailed remarks on the place and time of her use of the drugs with Park.
Police earlier obtained CCTV footage showing Park picking up something about 20-30 minutes after possibly sending money to a bank account suspected to belong to a drug dealer via an ATM in Seoul.
He told police he sent the money at the request of Hwang but claimed he did not use the drugs.
In 2017, Park announced plans to marry Hwang after dating her since 2016, but he later called off the engagement and broke up with her in 2018.
Park's case is in the latest in a series of drug allegations facing several K-pop stars and TV celebrities.
Seungri, a former member of K-pop boyband BIGBANG, and Robert Holley, a naturalized Korean citizen from the United States and TV personality, are being investigated for suspected illegal drug use. (Yonhap)