[Yonhap Photo]
BIGBANG member TOP was released from an intensive care unit and sent to another hospital for psychiatric treatment Friday after he was kicked out of a camp for conscripted policemen to stand trial for smoking marijuana.
The 29-year-old, who started his mandatory military service as a conscripted policeman in February, was charged Monday with smoking marijuana with a singer-trainee identified as her surname Han at his home in October last year. A day later, he was hospitalized after taking an excessive amount of sedatives.
For more than two days, the singer could not wake up from a state of lethargy at an intensive care unit. On Friday morning, doctors said he recovered enough to talk.
"I'm sorry," the wheelchair-bound singer wearing a mask and a hospital gown with a blanket over his knees told reporters as he finally revealed himself from the intensive care unit on Friday. He was transfered to another hospital by an ambulance to receive psychiatric treatment.
With his military service suspended, TOP will face trial while receiving psychiatric treatment.
If the singer is sentenced to more than 18 months in prison, he will be dishonorably discharged as an ex-convict who is exempted from military duty. Otherwise, he can go back to duty as a conscripted policeman or a public service worker after spending time in prison.
Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
