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The suspended term for the 29-year old, whose
legal name is Choi Seung-hyun, followed his indictment without
detention last month for using marijuana four times in October
2016 with a trainee singer at his home in the capital, Seoul.
The use of marijuana is illegal and considered a serious crime
in South Korea, but the severity of punishment has eased from
the past.
"I admit guilt on all charges and deeply regret my action," Choi
told reporters following the verdict, which he does not plan to
appeal.
Before the verdict, the actor-singer had also offered a public
apology for letting down his family and fans.
During investigation, the rapper denied some of the charges he
faced but later pleaded guilty to all. Choi was also once taken
to hospital after being found unconscious following an overdose
of sedatives.
In 2011, G-Dragon, a fellow member of Choi's Big Bang group,
also tested positive for marijuana, but was not formally
prosecuted.
At the time, he told South Korean authorities he had been
offered what appeared to be a cigarette at a party in Japan, but
had not realized he was being given marijuana, since he was
unfamiliar with its distinctive smell.
(Reporting by Haejin Choi and Jiwon Choi; Editing by Se Young
Lee and Clarence Fernandez)
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