DMTN'S Choi Daniel Tearfully Requests Prison Sentence Appeal for Marijuana Charges

After being sentenced one year in prison for the usage and distribution of marijuana, DMTN‘s Choi Daniel made a tearful plea to the courts for an appeal on his sentence.

On December 19, Daniel shed tears as he faced the Judge Kim Joo Hyun and the Seoul High Court in one of his first court sessions for his appeal. He said to the judge, “Your honor, I did wrong. I spent the past two months in a cold and scary place crying and thinking about my family. From now on, I will never break any laws and diligently live a life of faith. If you show me mercy, I will become a young man that is an asset to this country. Please forgive me.”

Daniel’s family and close friends were also present at the court, and shared in his tears. 

His lawyer argued that his original sentence was too heavy. He also presented a letter of petition from Daniel’s mother and an acceptance letter from a university in the United States. The lawyer said, “Daniel’s parents divorced and he had a difficult childhood in the United States. He went to Korea and lived the lonely and uncertain life of a Korean celebrity alone. Because of this incident, he realized his dream to become a teacher to prevent young children from going in the wrong direction. His admittance into a U.S. university is the first step into achieving this dream.”

The court will meet five more times throughout December and January before making a decision on his appeal. 

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