• Actor Yoo Ah In Appeals for Sentence Reduction, Expresses Lifelong Regret Over Father’s Passing

    Actor Yoo Ah In has pleaded for leniency while mentioning the passing of his father, citing lifelong guilt over the incident.

    On the morning of November 19, the Seoul High Court held the second appellate hearing of Yoo Ah In and his acquaintance, Mr. Choi, who are facing charges related to drug law violations.

    Yoo Ah In was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial and was taken into custody. His legal team filed an appeal, arguing that there were factual inaccuracies and unfair sentencing.

    Yoo Ah In’s lawyer stated, “Yoo Ah In gave much joy to the public, but he failed to take care of himself in the process, which severely impacted his career as an actor. He will live the rest of his life bearing the harsh judgment of the public.”

    The lawyer continued, “The consequences of his poor choices, made alongside depression, are far more severe than what an ordinary person would face. We ask that you consider this.”

    During the hearing, Yoo Ah In also spoke about the loss of his father, who passed away on August 7. He expressed that he would live with the guilt of having contributed to his father's deteriorating health, saying, "I will live with the guilt that my actions made my father's condition worse, and he passed away because of that. There is no greater punishment than this."

    Yoo Ah In also requested that his past contributions, such as his donations to underprivileged groups, be taken into account, emphasizing his positive influence in society.

    In the first appeal, Yoo Ah In largely acknowledged his drug use but claimed there was a misunderstanding regarding the issue of proxy prescriptions.

    His legal team also argued that before the investigation began, Yoo Ah In had been seeking treatment for sleep disorders in a healthy way and had been making significant progress in overcoming his addiction to sleep anesthetics.

    Yoo Ah In has been charged with regularly using medical propofol over 181 occasions from September 2020 to March 2022 at various hospitals in Seoul.

    He is also accused of illegally obtaining 1,100 doses of two types of sleeping pills using someone else’s name between May 2021 and August 2022. Additionally, he faces charges for smoking marijuana three times with others in the U.S. in January 2023 and teaching others how to do so.

    In the first trial, the court found Yoo Ah In guilty of habitual marijuana use, frequent illegal drug use, and purchasing drugs under someone else’s name.

    He was sentenced to one year in prison, a fine of 2 million KRW, 80 hours of drug rehabilitation, and a restitution fee of approximately 1.54 million KRW. However, he was acquitted of the charge of tampering with evidence due to insufficient evidence.

    Source: [1]

  • Yook Sung Jae and Bona’s new drama ‘The Haunted Palace’ dominates Netflix charts and beats all SBS shows with double-digit ratings from the start

    SBS's new fantasy historical drama The Haunted Palace is already making waves both in South Korea and around the world.

    Starring Yook Sung Jae and Bona, the show exploded in popularity during its very first week — topping Netflix charts in multiple countries and hitting double-digit TV ratings straight out of the gate.

    On Korean television, The Haunted Palace shocked viewers with a strong start. Episode 1 pulled in a peak nationwide rating of 10.7%, instantly breaking the double-digit barrier.

    The Seoul area rating and the national average were both 9.2%, making it the highest-rated premiere of any SBS drama in 2025 so far.

    It also beat out other SBS dramas like Love Scout and Buried Hearts, and even took the #1 spot among all mini-series aired that week, showing that this drama isn’t just trending — it’s leading the pack. (According to Nielsen Korea)

    And the success didn’t stop on TV.

    As soon as The Haunted Palace dropped on Netflix, it jumped straight to #1 on “Today’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea”, proving its massive popularity on streaming platforms.

    Globally, it also ranked #1 in the TV series category in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, showing that international fans are just as hooked.
    (According to FlixPatrol, April 21)

    The drama is also doing incredibly well on South Korea’s own streaming trend charts. On KinoLights — a platform that tracks trends across all streaming services — The Haunted Palace ranked #1 overall, beating both films and dramas. (As of April 19)

    Fans are loving the unique story, which mixes fantasy, comedy, and creepy mystery. The drama follows Yeori, a shaman who denies her fate, and Kang Cheol I, a mythical Imoogi spirit trapped inside her first love’s body. Together, they face off against a terrifying ghost called Palcheok Gui — who has a dark grudge against the royal family.

    Episode 2 added even more excitement, with Kang Cheol I hilariously struggling to live like a normal human after 1,000 years.

    At the same time, Yeori starts hearing the voice of Yoon Gap’s spirit and tries to save him. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Prince Wonja (played by Park Jae Joon) is going mad due to Palcheok Gui — and that the ghost has already consumed Yoon Gap’s soul. The showdown between Kang Cheol I, Yeori, and the evil spirit is just getting started.

    With high ratings and top OTT rankings, The Haunted Palace is quickly becoming one of the biggest drama hits of the year.

    Episode 3 of The Haunted Palace airs on Friday, April 25 at 9:50 PM KST on SBS.

    Source: [1]