Psy proposed for monetary penalty
According to South Korean media, the Seoul West District Prosecutor's Office has prosecuted Psy and a professor from a university hospital in Seoul for allegedly violating the Law on Medical Services. The decision was made on July 22 but has not been announced until now.
Psy, real name Park Jae-sang, is accused of receiving Xanax and Stilnox prescriptions from 2022 to 2025 without directly going to the hospital for examination. The manager or some other people are said to have represented the male singer to receive the medicine.
Xanax and Stilnox belong to the psychotropic drug group, often used in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. These drugs are at risk of addiction if not used as prescribed, so prescription and dispensing are strictly controlled.
Professor A, who is said to have prescribed without directly examining Psy, was also prosecuted under a simplified procedure. Four other people involved in the case, including medical staff and the male singer's manager, were suspended from conditional prosecution.
Prosecution according to the shortened procedure does not mean that Psy has been convicted by the court. This is a prosecution procedure requesting the court to consider the file in writing and apply a monetary penalty without opening an official trial. The court is said to have not issued a penalty decision for Psy and Professor A.
Affected superstar image
What makes the case worrying is that the alleged behavior does not only occur once but lasts for about three years. According to Korean law, doctors must in principle directly examine patients before prescribing. Receiving a replacement prescription is only acceptable in some special cases, such as patients who are unconscious or have serious difficulty moving.
The case is also more sensitive because it is related to psychotropic drugs that are at risk of abuse. However, up to now, there has been no conclusion showing that Psy is addicted or using drugs for non-treatment purposes. The focus of the case is the legality of the examination, prescription and receipt of drugs instead.
Born in 1977, Psy became a global phenomenon after the success of "Gangnam Style" in 2012. The song held the second position on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks, and the MV was the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Not only operating as a singer, Psy also founded P Nation and holds the role of producer, managing an entertainment business. Therefore, the prosecution not only affects personal reputation but also poses challenges to the image of one of the most influential Kpop artists.
