PSY
Singer PSY (real name Park Jae Sang) is under police investigation for illegally having sleeping pills, which are psychotropic drugs, picked up on his behalf, a violation of medical law.
A Seoul police official said at a press conference held on September 8 at the Seoul Police Agency headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, “So far, PSY has not been summoned for questioning, but he is expected to be called in soon.” The police are investigating allegations that since 2022, PSY received prescriptions for psychotropic drugs from a university hospital in Seoul without in-person consultations and had his manager collect the medication for him.
The police official added, “We are currently questioning related individuals and analyzing seized items. We are investigating how the prescriptions were issued, mainly through these interviews.” Earlier, the police searched the hospital to obtain relevant medical records.
Amid growing controversy, PSY’s agency released an official statement acknowledging that “having sleeping pills, which are specialized medications, collected on his behalf was clearly a mistake and negligence.” However, they claimed, “The prescribed doses were taken under medical supervision. There was no proxy prescription, but in some cases, a third party did pick up the sleeping pills on his behalf.”
Despite the agency’s explanation, debate has intensified over the distinction between “proxy prescription” and “proxy pickup.” According to current medical law, only the patient or a proxy authorized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare can receive prescribed medications.
The Korean Medical Association described this case as “a serious issue that goes beyond a personal matter and could affect public safety as a whole, especially given the celebrity status involved,” calling for a thorough investigation. A doctor on an online community pointed out, “It’s nonsense to say it’s proxy pickup and not proxy prescription. When a third party collects a prescription, that’s considered proxy prescription.”
This case once again highlights the importance of medical laws aimed at preventing the abuse of psychotropic drugs. After further investigation, the police will decide whether to press charges against PSY and the prescribing doctor for violating medical law.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Korean Medias, Police
