"I Feel Like Vomiting Just Seeing Syringes" Robert Hally, Punished for Drugs, Appears in Public for the First Time in 4 Years

Attendance at Drug-Related Debate Hosted by Assemblyman Taeyoungho
"Drugs, Never Touch... Attention and Treatment Needed"

Ha Il (American name Robert Harley, 62), a broadcaster and chairman of Gwangju Foreign School who was sentenced to prison for drug use, appeared in public for the first time in four years.

He shared his experience of being addicted to drugs to raise awareness of the dangers and emphasized the need for continuous attention and treatment for drug offenders.

In August 2019, broadcaster Ha Il (American name Robert Halley), who was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation at the sentencing trial held at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu. He is seen answering questions from the press as he leaves the courthouse.
Photo by Yonhap News

On the 14th, Ha attended a forum titled "Drugs More Common Than Alcohol Among Overseas Youth," hosted by Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, held at the National Assembly, where he presented on the topic "Drugs and Society ? Personal Experience with Drug Use."

Ha said, "While attending law school at a state university on the U.S. East Coast, I saw people smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol at parties every weekend. Once you try drugs, an endless cycle begins. Most addicts cannot hold regular jobs and eventually resort to stealing or selling drugs themselves to buy them."

He then spoke about the time after the drug scandal, saying, "I cried all day in my room. I wanted to die. Many friends left me. But my family watched over me every day. Thanks to a few friends and my manager, I was able to recover to some extent. When I went to the mountains, people encouraged me, which gave me strength. I believe that people in situations like mine need the attention, love, and friendship of those around them to recover," he emphasized.

Ha also stated, "As someone who has been punished, I do not think drug legalization is the right path. About 25% of Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year. Has legalization solved the problem? (On the contrary) drug users have increased," he pointed out.

He continued, "In Korea, there are too few educational facilities and treatment hospitals related to drugs," adding, "Nonprofit organizations related to addiction rehabilitation should be established throughout the regions to provide practical education and psychological counseling to prevent relapse."

Ha called for government support for N.A (Narcotics Anonymous) and DARC (Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center) and for strengthening drug-related punishments.

He confessed, "After receiving drug addiction treatment education, I now feel like vomiting when I see syringes," and reiterated, "Ordinary people do not have many opportunities like I did. There are too few facilities or hospitals in Korea to educate drug addicts. Active government support is necessary."

Broadcaster Ha Il (U.S. name Robert Harley), who was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, is attending the first trial held on the morning of August 9, 2019, at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, immediately after his sentencing in 2018, Ha said, "I made a mistake and did wrong, so I must pay the price. From now on, I will think of my family and love them faithfully. I will live serving my family and society."

This forum was the first event held by Representative Tae after his three-month suspension of party membership was lifted by the central party ethics committee.

The representative's office stated that the event was organized to understand the current status of drug crimes in Korea from the perspective of youth with overseas experience and to seek ways to prevent the spread of drugs within Korea.

Meanwhile, Ha was arrested on April 8, 2019, immediately after finishing a broadcast recording at a local station on suspicion of methamphetamine use and was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation.

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