It’s undeniable how K-Pop has taken the world by storm. I mean, just a couple months ago, popular K-Pop group BTS won a Billboard Music Award! Malaysia is also no stranger to the K-Pop culture and regardless if you’re a fan or not, you’ve definitely heard of BIGBANG. I mean who hasn’t!
Well, BIGBANG star T.O.P. made headlines and it isn’t the best news because he was actually caught smoking marijuana.
Source: SBS
The 29-year-old star was said to have used his vape pen to consume liquid marijuana at least three different occasions in his own home in Seoul with a female friend in her 20s. T.O.P. whose real name is Choi Seung Hyun was caught after the police received a tip off.
Choi had to undergo a drug test whereby police used his hair follicle to trace for any illegal substance present in his body, and unfortunately, he was tested positive for marijuana.
Source: BIGBANGmusic
Initially, Choi denied the allegations, claiming, “I only smoked electronic cigarettes and I didn’t know it was marijuana.”
However, YG Entertainment later released a statement saying,
“First and foremost, we would like to apologize.
“After confirmation, we have learnt that Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P’s real name) did in fact admit to the charge of smoking marijuana before his military enlistment, following through with all investigative measures by attending the police’s investigation in the midst of his public service duties and deeply reflecting on his actions afterward.
“Once again, we apologize for worrying so many people.”
Source: Kpopmap
South Korea has one of the strictest marijuana laws in the world. They often run drug tests through a hair follicle test, which is able to detect the drug as far back as 3 years, reports Next Shark.
The common sentence for marijuana use in South Korea is 5 years jail time or a fine up to 50 million Won (RM190,000).
Fans are speculating that T.O.P. was betrayed by the female friend who is also a K-Pop star, and hope that he does not face jail time as previous rumours mentions that he’s already charged and may face possible jail time.
Also read: Ex SNSD Trainee Reveals The Ugly Truth About KPOP And The Korean Entertainment Industry
