Choi Chang Yup in a scene from the popular KBS2 teenage drama "School 2013." (Photo : YouTube/O Rion)
"School 2013" actor Choi Chang Yup and well-known TV host Ryu Jae Young will not be seen on television screens for a while. Both TV stars have been sentenced to jail as punishment for using drugs.
Choi was handed down a sentence of 18 months in prison for the offence, according to Koreaboo. The actor grabbed headlines back in October 2015, when he was arrested on charges of using methamphetamine at his residence in Seoul, Sinlim-dong. The actor admitted to all the charges and also submitted a request for a lighter jail term.
The actor's agency, Sammaru Entertainment, confirmed his arrest via an official statement obtained by Soompi. "It is true that Choi Chang Yup was arrested by the prosecution on suspicion of illegal drug use. He is being investigated by the prosecution," the agency said in the statement.
The agency added that a lawyer would be appointed to represent the actor and ended the statement with an apology to the fans for any trouble the controversy might have caused. Choi's arrest came a month after authorities started investigating the actor. The investigation revealed that Choi had injected himself with the recreational drug in May 2015.
Choi made his debut on the small screen with the 2011 show "Human Survival Challenger," but his claim to fame was the drama "School 2013," in which he played the role of student Kim Min Ki. His other television credits include "The Great Doctor" and tvN's "Problematic Men."
Meanwhile, Ryu was sentenced to spend 12 months in prison on the same charge. The TV host was found to have indulged in illegal drug abuse with Choi at the latter's home back in May 2015. Ryu was a popular host on one of CJ O Shopping's home shopping programs since 2005.
Watch Choi in a scene from "School 2013" below:
