Don Spike given 2-year prison sentence for drug use by higher court

Producer and chef Don Spike enters the Seoul High Court for his second trial on illegal drug use on Thursday [YONHAP]

Don Spike, a composer and chef, was sentenced to two years in prison for illegal drug use at the appellate court on Thursday.

The ruling came from the Seoul High Court, five months after a lower court sentenced him to three years behind bars with the sentence suspended last January for illegal methamphetamine use.

Don Spike, whose real name is Kim Min-su, was arrested after the trial ended on Thursday morning.

"Tough sentence is needed as the nature of the crime of using methamphetamine, often with other parties involved, is severe, causing a bad influence to the society," the court said on Thursday.

"It is hard to find [Kim's] criminal offenses are any lighter than his accomplices who aided or abetted the crime."

Kim was first arrested in September at a hotel in southern Seoul for illegal drug use.

He was charged the same month for purchasing 45 million won ($35,100) worth of methamphetamine on nine occasions since December 2021 and using it on 14 occasions, often with accomplices.

At the time of his arrest, Kim was in possession of 20 grams of methamphetamine.

Kim admitted to the charges of purchasing and using methamphetamine multiple times during a trial on Dec. 6.

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