A South Korean pop singer with the popular boy band Big Bang could be dishonorably discharged from the country’s mandatory military service.
June 8 (UPI) — A South Korean pop singer with the popular boy band Big Bang could be dishonorably discharged from the country’s mandatory military service, if he receives a prison sentence that exceeds 18 months.
Choi Seung-hyun, 29, also known by his stage name T. O. P., was hospitalized after what local media described as a tranquilizer overdose.
The incident took place Monday, a day after Choi was indicted without detention on charges of drug use, Yonhap reported .
The Korean pop artist was charged with smoking marijuana with a 21-year-old female trainee in his private residence in October.
Military service is mandatory for Korean men between the ages of 18 and 35, and Choi had been serving his term since February.
Choi was working as a conscript at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, but was transferred to an eastern Seoul precinct after the indictment.
The precinct told local news service News 1 Choi’s attorney had delivered Choi’s arraignment notice to South Korea’s 42nd Army, the singer’s unit.
Choi will be suspended from the military until a verdict is reached on his case.
If a South Korean court rules Choi is to serve a jail term that exceeds 18 months, the singer will be forced to terminate his service.
Choi has fulfilled 117 days of service, with 520 days remaining.
The K-Pop artist will be expected to appear in court soon after he is discharged from the hospital where he is convalescing, Seoul police said.
Use of marijuana in South Korea can lead to a maximum 5-year prison sentence, or a fine of about $44,000.
