For the first time, Nam Tae Hyun has decided to talk about his drug scandal and its consequences.
Nam Tae Hyun will appear on KBS 1TV’s “In Depth 60 Minutes,” episode 1328, titled “Telegram Drug Rooms Targeting Teenagers,” which will be broadcasted on July 14th at 10 PM KST.
The production team said, “Last year, the number of underage drug offenders reached a record high of 481. The number of underage drug offenders is increasing every year. We will delve into the issue of teenage drug problems, which have already become a serious social issue, through an in-depth report this week.”
Nam Tae Hyun, who debuted as a member of WINNER in 2014 but later left the group, was at the center of controversy last August due to allegations of Philopon use. Along with Seo Min Jae, a participant on “Heart Signal 3”, Nam Tae Hyun was sent to the prosecution for investigation on drug use charges and is currently under non-custodial investigation.
“In Depth 60 Minutes” met with Nam Tae Hyun, who is currently undergoing treatment at a drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation center.
Reluctantly participating in the interview, Nam Tae Hyun confessed his story leading to drug addiction. He encountered diet pills, a type of pharmaceutical drug, during his entertainment career, and he took sleeping pills due to insomnia. These were medications prescribed by a psychiatrist. However, the misuse of medical drugs opened the gateway to drugs. This phenomenon is closely related to the current trend of teenagers abusing “diet pills” and “ADHD medication” known for enhancing academic performance.
Nam Tae Hyun confessed to the production team about the difficulties he faced due to drug use. After using drugs, all that remained was a debt of 500 million won and overdue credit card payments.
He has to sell everything he had, including his cherished guitar, and even give up his own home and his parents’ home. In order to repay his debts, Nam Tae Hyun plans to work part-time at a restaurant. Even during the interview, he continued to receive text messages urging him to pay off his overdue payments. Drugs have brought him, who was once an idol for teenagers, to rock bottom in an instant.
As his body and mind deteriorated due to drugs, people started leaving him one by one. When he felt like he had no hope left to continue living, he desperately knocked on the door of the rehabilitation center.
Nam Tae Hyun said, with difficulty, that he has a message for teenagers, “I hope teenagers don’t even have an interest in drugs. It’s an action that completely destroys one’s life.“
Source: Nate.
