SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - South Korean police have referred Gangnam Style rapper Park Jae-sang, globally known as Psy, to prosecutors on charges of violating medical laws by using his staff to illegally obtain highly regulated prescription drugs.
The case highlights South Korea's strict enforcement of regulations governing psychotropic medications. The 48-year-old singer is accused of bypassing mandatory face-to-face medical consultations to secure sleeping pills and anxiety medication over a multi-year period.
Authorities at the Seodaemun Police Station near central Seoul announced Tuesday that they transferred Park, a university hospital professor and management personnel to the prosecution on May 29. A total of six individuals face charges stemming from an investigation that began last summer following an informant tip.
From 2022 until last year, Park allegedly received prescriptions for Xanax and Stilnox from a university hospital in Seoul without meeting a doctor in person. He then dispatched his managers and other third parties to collect the medications from the pharmacy.
Under South Korean medical law, only physicians who conduct direct patient examinations are authorized to issue prescriptions. The legal framework also strictly dictates that only the examined patient is permitted to collect the prescribed medication.
Xanax and Stilnox are psychotropic drugs primarily used to treat sleep disorders, anxiety and depression. Due to their high potential for addiction and dependency, medical protocols dictate that direct in-person consultations and prescriptions are mandatory.
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