Nam Tae-hyun and Seo Min-jae appeal for leniency when sentenced to prison for 'using Philopon'
Nam Tae-hyun and Seo Min-jae appeal for leniency when sentenced to prison for 'using Philopon'
The prosecution requested prison terms for singer Nam Tae-hyun and influencer Seo Min-jae (name changed to Seo Eun-woo) from the group Winner, who were indicted on charges of using Philopon.

The prosecution requested Nam Tae-hyun to be sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 500,000 won at a trial held on the morning of the 7th by Chief Judge Jeong Cheol-min of Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul Western District Court. Seo Eun-woo, who was also brought to trial, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and asked to collect 450,000 won.

The prosecutor emphasized, “The defendants are socially known people, and their crimes need to be severely punished because they have a significant impact on society.” He added, “Nam Tae-hyun denied the crime at the police stage, but admitted to the crime at the prosecution stage. “In the case of Seong Eun-woo, he denied the crime in the early stages of the investigation,” he pointed out.

On this day, Nam Tae-hyun said, "I am currently enrolled in a drug rehabilitation facility and am spending time reflecting on myself and controlling myself every day. I have been living a wrong life and living my life without responsibility. As a public figure, I feel responsible and the current situation is where drugs are a big problem. He asked for leniency, saying, “I will fully expose my mistakes so that many young people and others do not make the same choice as me, and if I can, I will take the lead in drug prevention.”

Seo Eun-woo said, "I'm sorry for the mistakes I made. I may not be able to repay my debt to many people and society, but I will try to become a more conscientious member of society and take responsibility for my mistakes and reflect on them."

Seo Eun-woo's lawyer requested consideration, saying, "He had a history of working faithfully for 6 years after joining a large domestic company after being a diligent student, and was a complete first-time offender with no criminal or investigative history prior to this incident."

The sentencing hearing will be held on January 18th next year.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr