PSY Under Fire for Allegedly Bypassing Prescription Laws in South Korea

Avery Sinclair here, your resident skeptic with a caffeine addiction and a low tolerance for nonsense. If you’re expecting me to gasp in horror at another celebrity allegedly skirting the rules, you might want to pour yourself a cup of something strong and settle in. This one’s got all the drama of a telenovela with the added bonus of sleeping pills and a hospital mix-up.

Let’s cut to the chase: PSY, the man behind the global phenomenon “Gangnam Style,” is facing scrutiny in South Korea over allegations that he used third parties—including his manager—to obtain prescription medications without showing up in person. The drugs in question? Xanax and Stilnox, both of which are tightly regulated due to their high potential for abuse and dependency.

Now, before you start drafting think pieces about the moral decay of K-pop icons, let’s get one thing straight—this isn’t about illegal drug use. It’s about how those medications were obtained. In South Korea, the Medical Services Act makes it pretty clear: unless you’re a direct caregiver or family member, you can’t just waltz into a hospital and pick up someone else’s controlled substances. That’s not a loophole—it’s the law.

According to South Korean authorities, PSY—real name Park Jae-sang—reportedly had others collect his meds over a three-year period from a university hospital. A tip-off led police to investigate, and soon enough, medical records were seized and a doctor was detained for allegedly facilitating the transactions. The doctor, for his part, claims he conducted remote consultations and insists there was no legal violation.

PSY’s agency, P Nation, released a statement clarifying that the singer has been diagnosed with a chronic sleep disorder and has been using the medications under medical supervision. They also admitted that while there was no proxy prescribing, there were instances where third parties picked up the medication on his behalf.

Let’s not forget, this is the same guy whose 2012 viral hit broke records on YouTube, becoming the first video to hit one billion views, then two billion. The song was so big it even inspired a tragicomic incident where a man danced to it at a wedding while holding an AK-47—only to accidentally shoot and kill three people mid-step. That’s not a typo.

So where does this leave us? PSY has publicly apologized for the “oversight,” but in a country where medical laws are strict for a reason, oversight doesn’t exactly cut it. Whether this becomes a minor blip in his career or a full-blown scandal remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: even global megastars aren’t immune to the occasional paperwork fail.

And that’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Gulf News
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