Yoo Ah-in's Drug Investigation Already Over 2 Months... Why Is It Taking So Long?

Additional summons planned without detention
More time needed until final disposition

It has been two months since the police began investigating actor Yoo Ah-in (real name Eom Hong-sik) on suspicion of drug use. During this period, the police conducted searches of Yoo Ah-in's body, residence, and hospitals, and summoned all related parties for questioning.

Not only Yoo Ah-in himself but also accomplices suspected of using drugs together with him are currently under investigation. Some voices have raised concerns that the police investigation, conducted without detention, is too slow and sluggish. However, given the nature of medical narcotics cases, which are difficult to prove, insiders and outsiders in the police force agree that it is too early to negatively judge the current intensity or progress of the investigation.

Actor Yoo Ah-in accused of using narcotics such as marijuana, propofol, cocaine, and ketamine
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Investigation Expanded from Propofol to Five Types of Narcotics

The police began investigating Yoo Ah-in following a request from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). At the end of last year, the MFDS handed over to the police the results of an investigation revealing that Yoo Ah-in had habitually used over 4,400 mL of propofol in 73 instances in 2021.

On February 5, the police started a body search of Yoo Ah-in upon his return through Incheon International Airport and launched a full-scale investigation. They conducted a simple urine test and collected about 160 strands of body hair, which were sent to the National Forensic Service for analysis.

The detailed narcotics test by the National Forensic Service detected three additional types of narcotics besides propofol: marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine. Furthermore, from February to last month, the police conducted searches of several hospitals and Yoo Ah-in's registered and actual residences, securing medical records that reportedly revealed evidence of zolpidem purchases. What began as a simple suspicion of propofol use by a famous celebrity has thus expanded into an investigation involving five types of narcotics.

Delayed Summons Without Detention... Is the Police Investigation Really Slow?

The police summoned Yoo Ah-in for questioning on the 27th of last month, nearly two months after starting the forced investigation. They questioned him for about 12 hours regarding the circumstances and purpose of his drug use. Toward the end of the interrogation, the police notified Yoo's side of an additional summons. The second summons has not yet taken place.

Some have expressed skepticism about the intensity of the police investigation. Despite being a serious case suspected of habitual use of multiple types of narcotics, the investigation has proceeded without a single request for an arrest warrant. The delayed summons and Yoo Ah-in's accompaniment by lawyers specializing in drug investigations from the prosecution have further fueled these suspicions.

Inside and outside the police force, the series of delays in non-detention investigations and case disposition are seen as "predictable." According to multiple drug investigation experts, it is difficult to prove criminal facts in cases involving psychotropic drugs such as propofol and zolpidem, which Yoo Ah-in is suspected of habitually using. From the investigative agency's perspective, it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, in accordance with criminal justice principles, that the drugs were prescribed and used for non-medical purposes?a process commonly described as extremely difficult.

Psychotropic Drug Propofol

Securing Statements from Accomplices on Non-Medical Use Is Key

The police are conducting investigations targeting accomplices who used narcotics together with Yoo Ah-in. Since Yoo Ah-in denies drug use allegations except for some marijuana inhalation charges, the investigation has shifted toward supplementary inquiries. It appears the police judged that evidence collected alone would be insufficient to prove the crime while the suspect denies the charges.

In questioning accomplices, the police are expected to focus their efforts on obtaining statements confirming that Yoo Ah-in used narcotics for non-medical purposes. Additional summons of Yoo Ah-in are likely to follow. The police have already completed all investigations of Yoo and decided on the direction of his custody, including whether to request an arrest warrant. If there is clear evidence that narcotics were used for non-medical purposes but Yoo continues to deny the charges, it is interpreted that he may be handed over to the prosecution in custody.

The police are also considering applying charges of violating medical laws against hospital and clinic staff if it is confirmed that Yoo Ah-in was prescribed propofol and other drugs for non-medical purposes or if the number of doses recorded in medical records was reduced. Previously, the police searched hospitals and clinics suspected of prescribing propofol to Yoo in the Gangnam and Yongsan districts of Seoul, as well as his residence, and summoned hospital staff, managers, and acquaintances as witnesses for questioning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.