K-pop superstar PSY is under investigation in South Korea over allegations he used proxies to illegally obtain prescription drugs.
According to the Seoul Seodaemun Police Station, the 48-year-old “Gangnam Style” style, whose legal name is Park Jae-sang, allegedly acquired prescriptions for the psychotropic drugs Xanax and Stilnox from a university hospital, without the required in-person consultations.
Both medications, which are used to treat sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, are considered high-dependency and addiction risks, making in-person oversight mandatory.
PSY is also accused of having others, including his manager, pick up the drugs on his behalf since 2022. South Korea’s Medical Service Act only allows immediate family or caregivers to pick up prescriptions for someone else.
After police were tipped off about the potential violation of regulations, they conducted a search and seizure at the hospital and took medical records as part of their investigation.
A doctor was subsequently booked on suspicion of facilitating the transactions. He denied any wrongdoing and said he conducted remote consultations with the singer.
PSY meanwhile issued an apology and admitted to making a mistake, but said the decision to have a third-party pick up his medication was merely “an oversight.”
Psy’s agency, P Nation, said in a statement obtained by Gulf News that he had been “diagnosed with a chronic sleep disorder and has been taking sleeping medication in accordance with his medical team’s prescription.”
“His use of sleeping medication has been under medical supervision and within the prescribed dosage,” the agency said. “There was no proxy prescribing (but) there were instances in which a third party picked up the sleeping medication on his behalf.”
PSY shot to international fame after “Gangnam Style” became a viral hit in 2012, becoming the first video to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube.
