Actor Yoo Ah-in admits to most charges against him

Actor Yoo Ah-in attends a court hearing Wednesday after police filed for an arrest warrant for him over his illegal drug use [YONHAP]

Actor Yoo Ah-in admitted to "most of the charges" against him and said he "regrets" taking illegal drugs on Wednesday as he left a court hearing.

Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, is being investigated over the illegal use of five different drugs — propofol, cannabis, cocaine, ketamine and zolpidem.

“I admit to most of the charges brought against me," he told local reporters waiting outside the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, before entering the court.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Drug Investigation Unit filed an arrest warrant for Yoo on Friday afternoon, citing concerns that he may destroy evidence or flee the country.

"I regret it," Yoo replied to local reporters that asked him if he regrets taking illegal drugs.

After the hearing, Yoo was taken to a holding cell in Mapo Police Station until the court makes a judgment on his arrest warrant.

Police also filed an arrest warrant for Yoo's suspected accomplice, known to be an arts-school graduate writer on the same day, explaining they had evidence of Yoo trying but failing to help the accomplice flee abroad.

"We found a need to arrest [Yoo] as the case was not a lone incident and there are multiple accomplices," police said during a press conference on Monday.

Yoo tested positive for cannabis in early February when the police executed a search and seizure warrant on the actor. A further detailed drug test result in March showed that the actor tested positive for propofol and other illegal drugs.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]