Prosecutors call for four-year jail term for ex-BTOB member Jung Il-hoon

Jung Il-hoon [ILGAN SPORTS]

Prosecutors requested a four-year jail term for Jung Il-hoon, a former member of boy band BTOB who admitted to using marijuana multiple times, during his final trial held at Seoul Central District Court on Thursday.

Prosecutors also asked the court to impose a penalty of around 133 million won ($188,000).

“I’m so sorry to have disappointed many who trusted me, and I got to look back on my life as I go through this case” said Jung in his final testimony. “I can’t take back what happened, but I’ll remember the pain and awakenings I had from this case forever and try to live a life without [any regret].”

Jung’s lawyer said the singer was under extreme stress from working in the entertainment industry from a young age and he tried to relieve the stress in the wrong way.

Jung's trial began in April after he was accused of smoking 133-million-won worth of marijuana over 161 times from 2016 to 2019. His agency Cube Entertainment announced in December that he left the band shortly after his arrest.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]