Rapper Psy is under criminal investigation in South Korea over claims he illegally obtained prescription medications without required in-person doctor visits, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The “Gangnam Style” hitmaker, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, and a university hospital physician have both been booked by Seoul’s Seodaemun Police Station for allegedly breaching the country’s Medical Service Act.
Officers say Psy received prescriptions for Xanax and Stilnox—medications used to treat anxiety and insomnia—between 2022 and this year without undergoing face-to-face medical evaluations.
Instead, police allege, Psy’s staff members picked up the prescriptions on his behalf. Under South Korean law, such drugs require direct doctor-patient consultations and cannot be collected by third parties due to their classification as psychotropic substances.
Investigators launched the probe after receiving a tip and later raided the hospital to obtain medical records. The prescribing doctor has denied wrongdoing, insisting remote consultations were conducted in line with regulations.
Psy’s label, P Nation, issued a public apology Thursday, acknowledging the lapse and attributing it to lingering habits from the COVID-19 era.
“It was clearly a mistake and lapse in judgment to have a prescription sleeping pill collected on his behalf. We sincerely apologise. PSY has been diagnosed with chronic sleep disorder,” the agency said in a statement.
“There were never any proxy prescriptions … (but) a third party did receive the drugs on his behalf in some cases,” the company added.
The Medical Service Act, designed to protect public health and ensure ethical medical practices, carries severe penalties for violations.
Offenders can face up to three years in prison and fines of approximately $22,500.
In more severe cases, such as those involving abuse of controlled substances or patient harm, sentences have reached as high as 16 years.
The police say they are reviewing the seized documents and may summon Psy for questioning. The investigation remains ongoing.
Psy, 48, rose to international stardom in 2012 with the viral hit “Gangnam Style,” which lampooned Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district and became the most-watched YouTube video at the time.