Wow.. this sounds so.. harsh. Not that it's undeserved, but it affects all of the other people involved in Joo Ji-Hoon's projects in a very negative way. :(

And WHO ARE THE OTHER PEOPLE?! Maybe I'm just too curious/nosy, but the hint dropping is getting very old...

this is so sad for him..

This is like watching a live car crash. In all honesty, do you ever see Joo Ji-hoon working in this industry again JB?

Also, will you think the names of other celebrities be released or withheld to prevent media frenzy?

they need to just tell us already who has done what so the nmess can be sorted out. I swear the media in Korea enjoys this kind of thing way too much.

i wish this was just over with :(

it sucks for Shin Mina and Kim Tae-woo and everyone else , that there movies wont be shown, this is truly sad news but then again this is what happens in many parts of the world. it kinda brought me back to reality, since i hadnt heard anything about people doing drugs even tho i knew the problem still existed.

Joo JiHoon.. see the trouble you've caused! Sigh...
Never do drugs people. Not only does it harm your bosy, it also harms others!

I meant *body...

It looks like the end of Ji Hoon's career at least for now. I rather see him get caught sooner than later because sometimes you need to learn the hard way. He is still young and can rebuild his career. Give two years people will forget and forgive.
I have to say that the repercussions of doing drugs in Korea are a lot more severe than the U.S. It's good though because that's one way to deter people from using drugs.

Looks like the other two are going to jail for a very long time and hopefully Joo ji-hoon can bounce back from this and stay away from his druggie friends.

I really wonder how many names will actually be released....

In my mind I see these actors/actresses/models/musicians and their managers and handlers scrambling to cover it up.
I mean as soon as the news came out these other celebs would be smart enough to dump their stash.... wouldn't they?
Its hard to prove someone purchased w/o finding them in possession of the drugs.
At that point it just becomes he said/ she said.
Unless Korea can force them to submit to drug test?

I really feel sorry for JJH for having to be in that first wave of the bust...
I know, I know hes guilty and drugs are bad..... but at least the others involved have a little extra warning and time to prepare their selves.

Yes, it's seems Ji-hoon is just the tip of a HUGE and devastating iceberg...

The media is giving us a game to play.
They are torturing us because of our curiosity, but more than anything, they are torturing the celebrities involved that are stressing over this at the moment.

Do you think that the Tokyo Police would also have to be involved since Yeh and Yoon did meth there and well that's were they were getting their supplies (since she went so many times, I'm sure she has some sort of connection to yakuza or whoever deals with drugs there) ? Also curious if they plan on keeping whoever they are investigating secret until they charge and have not other choice but to release names (OMG Actor “I” and music cable channel’s “A” make me really nervous... I wonder if any of them is the "pretty boy")

Seems like the press is using him as a scapegoat, the others did the dealing yet JJH who took drugs twice is being battered. Personally I would say that everyone should lay off him, he could be in an unstable condition and I for one don't want another K suicide.

He made a mistake, im pretty sure he's sorry for what he's done so I don't think "OMG drugs are bad thing" comments are needed, we all get it.

Anyway I think JJH after apologising should take a huge break and leave Korea for a while, the netizens and press won't be happy until they've destroyed the poor guy. Oh and I don't get why the police is so admant on finding out people who took drugs on one occasion when there's dealers too find? This woman should go to jail and not get any special treatment just because she named people since she's the cause of it all.

I really hope Ji hoon can bounce back from this. And I hope he really learns from this. So sad that he had to learn the hard way. It's really good if we learn from others mistakes, but if we don't (as in his case), well... we're just humans... what's important is that he doesn't commit the same mistake in the future, if he does, then that's the time we can call him stupid. As for now... he's just human, am so sad for him... I'm just still so curious why he tried to do drugs... After all that he's got?!...

Honestly, if Shin Min Ah gets caught in this scandal (she was rumored to be dating JJH, and she starred in a drama and a movie with him), I will beat someone.

Also, that sucks that The Naked Kitchen is cancelled just because of him.

(So I guess weed is considered at the same level as X there? Hmmm)

Maybe it's not the media stringing us along, but the police who haven't allowed any other names to be made public, and the media can only work with scraps to stir people's interest. I mean, Yoon Seol-hee told the police all the stuff about the names, but I don't think she went to the papers?

Pity about Shin Min-ah and Kim Tae-woo being affected by the scandal.

Hey! Is anyone still looking into Jang JaYeon's apparent forced-sex case?? What happened to the manager??
Hello!!! Why are we moving the focus away now?
I think that this is all a scam. Someone knew about this way before but decided to raises this matter and make Joo JiHoon a scapegoat to save his butt. But still, it does not mean to say that Joo JiHoon was not at fault at all. He was idiotic enough to consume those drugs!

Did any other actors comment on this? That would be interesting to read.

God, this is getting ugly.

I second the opinion that JJH should start his military service soon.. After he releases a statement and pays whatever damages he's ordered to pay, of course.

I want to know who these other celebrities are, too. It's not fair for all of the media to be focusing on JJH. They need more people to spread the blame to, so it's not so heavily laid on one person. :/

And on a completely selfish note, I kinda wanted to see Naked Kitchen. :/ I'm sad it's pushed back.

I'm not too sure of other states, but in New York, it isn't a crime to use drugs, just to possess or sell them (and it is also a crime to inject someone else with drugs, but not a crime to inject yourself hehe).

So, basically, if I am standing on a street corner and I find heroin and a needle on the ground and I ask my my friend to pick up the heroin and the needle, and then inject me with it, then my friend has committed a crime (of injection, maybe of possession and possesion of paraphenalia), but I've commited no crime.

Isn't that odd? Or maybe it isn't odd?

Maybe it is odd for Korea to punish drug use along with drug selling and drug possession (there's probably a good public policy argument as to why drug use is not a crime in this country, but I don't know what that reason is).

-Samsooki

"Actor “I” recently appeared in a drama and is being investigated"

Sorry to say... but actor Im Ju Hwan (Frozen Flower, Boys Over Flowers, Snow Queen) keeps coming to my mind and i once saw a pic of him with Yeh Hak-young before....seems like they're close...

I think JJH is strong enuff not to do any killing. but than again, I never thought that he will do drugs. but only twice??... come on. I bet most of the actors or actress use drugs at least once. and he is using it, punished him. punished him because he's a fool to use drugs 2 times. No need to kill him over this matter. It doesn't have to be like the end of his everything!

Ji Hoon.. azza..azzaaaa

@25 "I bet most of the actors or actress use drugs at least once. and he is using it, punished him. punished him because he’s a fool to use drugs 2 times."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

please don't drag other actors/actress into this mess with JH.
You can advocate all you want for JH but please leave others alone.

This is the consequence for breaking the law of the land

I hope to God this doesn't end in yet another tragedy...or tragedies. I'm SO worried!

@23 Samsooki
Interesting, I didn't know that!

How do they accurately account for how many times they've used drugs? I just don't see how they would do that. If the actors do confess, twice can equal twice a day or twice every hour or twice every minute..

Did they do a drug test that completely attested the allegations against Ji Hoon?

Can someone provide a link to the original article please.

@Samsooki

"So, basically, if I am standing on a street corner and I find heroin and a needle on the ground and I ask my my friend to pick up the heroin and the needle, and then inject me with it, then my friend has committed a crime (of injection, maybe of possession and possesion of paraphenalia), but I’ve commited no crime.

Isn’t that odd? Or maybe it isn’t odd? "

No it isn't odd because your friend is still acting on free-will. He doesn't have to do what you say. He can still say no. If he does inject you, then it is his own decision to do that therefore he is accounted for it. As for you telling him and not commiting the crime, it is understandable because you didn't take physical action towards the situation. It's like telling someone to push you off the cliff. Are you going to be punished because you told them to? Also, it will be hard to prove.

Just so sad...He really seemed to take Lee Eon's death pretty hard. I wonder if he ever really had a chance to grieve because he was so busy with his movies and appearances afterwards.

Oh my goodness, this is very disheartening.... *teary eyed again*
I just want JiHoon's case to end asap, so that i(or we) can move on......
It seems everytime an article comes in, a not-so-good/wholesome- JiHoon is slowly being created in my mind........ urg!!!! I dont want that! I am in denial!!!
I should go and buy his dramas and movies now!

I should go back to Gong Yoo!

the idea of listing how many times someone has done a particular drug seems rather tabloidish. can they prove it? even if someone was sitting next to them, it is one person's word against another. anything beyond the number one seems rather redunant to me unless a person is charge per usage.

and why is she naming people who used drugs, unless they are also dealers. am i missing something. can someone enlighten me.

@28, iDB@work,

I was going in a little different direction actually. This has nothing to do with free-will. What is odd this:

1. All anti-drug laws are meant to eliminate drug use (consuming it internally into the body), right? If everybody decided to buy drugs so that they could use it as part of asphalt mixtures for their driveways, or so that they could collect and trade them like Pokemon cards, I doubt there would much outcry. The objective is to reduce the use (internal consumption into your body) of illegal or harmful drugs by the residents of the jurisdiction.

2. So why punish everything related to drugs BUT NOT drug use?

Korea's laws punish use as well as possession and sale, and this might reflect culture as well as historical (legislative history) differences. Other countries as well punish drug use along with possession and sale. But in the US, drug use is generally not a crime.

Looking briefly at the Calif statutes and NY statutes (two major sources of law in this country), it looks like neither states' laws punish drug use, but only possession and possession with intent to sell. It is likely that most states follow the broad strokes of these laws (then again, South Dakota has a statute that punishes certain meth use as well as meth possession, so not every state follows NY and California...).

-Samsooki

I really hope that the media doesnt put too much pressure on joo ji hoon. I am really scared that there will be another suicide case. Why is everyone blaming and demolarizing joo ji hoon. Obviously something is wrong with joo ji hoon if he is taking drugs since it is so detrimental of one's career in south korea. Instead of being mad at him, it would probably be better if everyone showed their support and had him go to rehab or something like that. He obviously has a lot of potential as shown in "The Devil" and he is still young..So hopefully people will wake up before its too late and save one life and hopefully one career too.

@Samsooki

I know that law is the same here in Ohio and I believe it does work that way for the whole of the USA.

I could be wrong, but I always assumed that it was because many of the controlled substances are perfectly legal if prescribed or administered by a medical professional. For example I have been given cocaine after a surgery in the hospital as a painkiller.........but i'm personally not able to administer it myself. The same is true for drugs like morphine , oxicontin, and various other pain killers.

Plus it wouldn't be really be possible to make people submit to drug tests to get a conviction.........except in the cases of DUI's.

That is what I figured anyway.

FOLLOWING COMMENT NOT IN RELATION TO JIHOON.... >-<

BTW, JavaB, I just read your other previous articles...and something made me laugh out so hard, i nearly choked my lunch! It's the "fresh ramen" by RAIN!!!!! I really thought I was the only one.... I used to think "wow, ramen must really be popular in korea...or maybe it's a korean word i dont understand...mmm...sounds like ramen to me...why would he be singing about ramen?!" Finally i changed to another music...

LOL!!!!

THANKS JAVA-B! IT MADE MY DAY!!!!!!!

Things are getting worse, but that for the best.............. After few months, he will redeem himself ......... He just have to hold on.... and come out real strong. I have been through a difficult situation ... where i thought it was best to end alll....... but now am so blessed, I M A BETTER ME !!!! Well .....

Good luck Ji-hoon............

Why, why, why did he have to do this? He is such a talented person with so much going for him. It is unbelievable that someone so intelligent and has such a bright future can in one second commit such a huge mistake. I was looking so much forward to his future projects but it seems his career may be going down the drain.

I am still in shock and I hope that he can bear it through the storm because things are looking pretty shaky.

They're blowing this WAY out of proportion.

@35, Jin-ah,

Interesting thoughts. Still, you could always write a statute that says, "drug use that isn't prescribed by a licensed health professional is now illegal." And lots of other countries have those kinds of laws, like Japan, China and Korea. And you don't need drug testing in order to get a conviction. A simple witness saying that you did it, should be good enough. There are plenty of crimes in the US that rely on that kind of evidence. Like conspiracy to commit crimes - the primary piece of evidence is usually a guy saying "I was there and I heard him agree to the plan."

What is interesting to me is that if Korea did NOT have a law that says that drug use is illegal, then JJH would be completely off the hook. He would have been completely fine if Korea only punished possession and sale/trafficking like NY or CA. He would have all his movies, his endorsements, his dramas, his career and his reputation.

OR, had JJH simply flown to Los Angeles, partied hard in LA for two days in March with as much X and K as he could handle, and then flown back to Korea, he would have no problems right now and would be planning his speeches for his fan-meetings and what he should wear for his premieres in Japan. And nobody would know anything.

These arrests may or may not make Korean celebs think twice about using. The celebs who just want to party will probably just end up being more careful about where they do it.

-Samsooki

Aww. I wonder how things will turn out.

@33 Samsooki

Are you sure that users are not criminally prosecuted in America? Depending on the hardness of the drug, users are prosecuted or make deals but may not do hard time and often end up in halfway houses or mandatory treatment. The laws are much stricter for pushers and traffickers. One of the reasons for the increasingly lax treatment of users is that America cannot afford to prosecute and jail users. Prisons are overcrowded as it is, state funding has been slashed for years, and there is no end to the supply of users (the "drug war" has failed). There is also--people may disagree with me, but meh--very strong racism at play here. Because drugs and drug crime were and still are mostly centered in non-White regions, there is less of a push to curtail the problem there, an attitude that has spilled over into White America. This is why there are American paratroopers in third world countries fighting drug dealers, but there are no American paratroopers on the ground in America. It is a classic idea of fighting the war over there so that it is not fought here.

Eventually America will legalize pot (it has been moving towards that with medicinal use) not because it wants to but because it has to, especially if it wants to keep invading and occupying other countries while still providing social security and medicare for us--pot will bring in huge revenue. It is economics at the end of the day. Also Hillary's apology to Mexico last month(?) was striking (she admitted that Mexico's chaos is directly caused by America's insatiable need for drugs) because it marks I think a shift in policy to come.

if anyone wants a lesson on what drugs can do to a culture, just study black neighborhoods in America and see what drugs have done to them in just a matter of 30-35 years.
--

Tragic all around.

@31 MEIKO

The mere mention of Gong Yoo's name made me smile. :) I miss that boy...

I really have no comment about JJH, except that he had it coming...sucks for him he got caught.

thanks for those who posted after me. although my question wasn't answer outright, but you did mention that drug use itself was illegal in Korea. something i guess i didnt understand from the original articles and comments.

@Nom Kitteh
"if anyone wants a lesson on what drugs can do to a culture, just study black neighborhoods in America and see what drugs have done to them in just a matter of 30-35 years."

as an african american living in an inner city, i kinda take offense to that blanket statement. there are drug use issues in african american neighbourhoods (and trust me since they have started to show itself in mine i've been on the phone every week with the police to report a drug deal going down with very little response) as well as the affluent neighbourhoods. i'm not denying that. but there are other factors that are more prominent (from the last 30 to 35 years outside of the drug area that contributed to those particular neighbourhoods. with civil rights finally being given in the sixties, economic and educational equality wasn't just handed out overnight. it has taken at least 20 years or so for the culture to get away from some of the stereotypes held by generations.

and even today the educational equality in many african american neighbourhoods are far below standard comparable to more affluent neighbours . that does tend to grind a culture. i'm not saying it's an excuse BUT drug use isn't the primary factor in the downfall of some african american neighbours so your blanket statement about it being the only factor is wrong. i could spout facts figures and what not, but to be honest most of those studies have an agenda by the ones who run it.

on another note, remember those drug deals in my neighbourhood i mentioned....the majority of those buying aren't black and don't live here. and i am sure that is the case in many neighbourhoods.

I seriously take no pity on these kind of ppl. Even if it is Joo Ji Hoon. Don't they have anything else better to do than to take drugs? What pleasure is there in taking drugs anyway? Does he like getting high or something? Go ride a rollercoaster or something! If you want to go clubbing, you can.....just don't be so stupid to take something which will affect your health and career(source of income).

Ppl can be so.so.so.so.so.so dumb at times. It's actually sad.

@42, Nom Kitteh,

I guess it depends on jurisdiction. New York doesn't penalize use, quickly looking, neither does Connecticut. Both penalize possession but not simple use. As I said above, I think South Dakota punishes meth use, but only in certain situations (like using meth in front of an infant or something like that).

I just find this interesting because if JJH walked up to a NYPD officer three days ago with a signed and notarized affidavit stating that he smoked a bong at a party March in New York, and did some E and maybe a little K (not that he remembers taking a little K, but then again it was a wild party and so he doesn't want to rule it out for sure), the police officer wouldn't be able to do anything. It's not a crime.

-Samsooki

so many comments, both negative and positive and all valid. most of all, I'm just personally saddened that a person (not just JJH, but anyone) would waste the opportunities given them. the wasted talent and wasted opportunities but NOT a wasted life, that will come to light when that life ends... the bottom line is this -- it's his life and NOT ours. maybe he wasn't strong enough to withstand the pressures of the life style/occupation he choose. who knows...i think the test now is what will he do with his future? will he be strong enough, smart enough to learn from this "temporary" set back. we shall see...

yogini,

I agree with your points that many different factors have afflicted black communities (or non-White communities), education being a large one. My point is that "White" law enforcement has been less than eager to help curb drug crime in certain neighborhoods, and those neighborhoods happen often to be non-White neighborhoods.

The discussion I was responding to is about law enforcement: Are you saying that law enforcement has been quick to crack down on crime in black neighborhoods?

"to show itself in mine i’ve been on the phone every week with the police to report a drug deal going down with very little response)"
Are you saying that your reports get little response from the police? Well, aren't you proving my point?

My last point is more to show that drugs are not as harmless as one thinks. That our (America's) lackadaisical approach to enforcement has severe consequences, some that we can even document. It just so happens that most sociology studies on America on the cost of drugs zoom in on inner cities.

My point is that drugs use has become passe not because drugs have been deemed to be harmless but because a) there are limited resources for a unlimited problem, b) there is prejudice, and c) a growing realization that the war cannot be won.
-----

All that said, while my heart goes out to Ji-Hoon (and especially all the innocent bystanders who will be hurt because of this), I am glad that this is being dealt with so "harshly." It is a nice counter to the endless stories here about Amy Winehouse or kate Moss and their open and unprosecuted drug use.

@Samsooki

I don't see that working here in the States......granted I am no legal professional. But think about how hard it is to get a rape conviction based on only the word of the victim......do you really think a jury is going to prosecute someone based on eye witness testimony? Eye witness testimony is even question during murder cases. I think it would be doubly questioned in a drug trial, especially here since many of us consider drug use to be a victimless crime. I think we would turn the accuser into a defendant by questioning their motives for coming forward about the drug use. I really think we would require hard evidence that the drugs are or have been in the persons system.

Which brings us to testing the person. How do you legally test someone for drug use based on only another person testimony. They could have been legally smoking MaryJ (depending on the state) or taking steroids, or any number of drugs.......... You would have to know that the person wasn't prescribed the drugs right? But our medical records are private in this country......so it would take a court order to release them..... would the eyewitness testimony be enough evidence to get said records?

I really think it would be seen as an invasion of privacy........and after the last eight years of policy change in that regard.....I think Americans wouldn't let it pass. Also From what I understand of the courts an laws in Japan, China, and Korea they are very different than ours so I don't really think we can use them as a model of what will work in our Govt.

But like I said, I'm definitely not an expert, just a normal citizen and this is just my view.

Isn't use also mean possession? You have to be in possession of said drug to be able to use unless other people doing it for you.