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Korean Law Demystified!

Psy Fined ₩5 Million for Obtaining Prescription Sedatives Without In-Person Consultation

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Korean singer Psy (Park Jae-sang) has been fined ₩5 million after being found to have obtained prescriptions for psychotropic sleep and anxiety medications without attending in-person medical consultations and having his manager collect the drugs on his behalf. Here are the key points.

Facts

  • From 2022 to 2024, Psy received prescriptions for Xanax and Stilnox — psychotropic drugs used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders — from a university hospital in Seoul without attending in-person consultations as required by law.
  • A manager collected the medications on Psy’s behalf, a practice that is only permitted under the Medical Service Act in exceptional circumstances such as unconsciousness or severe mobility impairment.
  • Seodaemun Police Station secured medical records through a hospital search warrant and referred the case to prosecutors in May 2026. Prosecutors issued a summary indictment against Psy and the treating physician in July 2026, and gave deferred prosecution dispositions to four others including the manager.
  • Seoul Western District Court (Summary Division 12, Judge Choi Ye-jin) issued a summary order of ₩5 million against Psy on September 15, 2026.
  • Psy had not filed a request for a formal trial as of the time of reporting. If no request is filed within seven days of service, the summary order becomes a final judgment.

Key Takeaways

  • The Medical Service Act requires that prescriptions be issued only by a physician who has directly examined the patient in person. Non-face-to-face prescriptions for psychotropic drugs are not permitted as a matter of routine practice.
  • Collection of prescription medications by a third party is only lawful in narrowly defined exceptional circumstances — unconsciousness and severe mobility impairment being the primary examples. Personal inconvenience or scheduling considerations do not qualify.
  • A summary order proceeding — used for straightforward cases where the facts are not in serious dispute — produces a fine without a full trial. The defendant’s choice not to contest it allows the order to become final, which Psy appears to have accepted.
  • The treating physician was also indicted — the obligation to conduct an in-person examination before prescribing runs on the medical professional as well as the patient.

Why This Matters

Psychotropic drug prescribing controls exist to prevent misuse and dependency, and the in-person examination requirement is a core element of that framework. This case — involving a high-profile public figure — serves as a reminder that the rules apply regardless of status, and that delegating prescription collection to staff does not insulate patients from legal consequences. For medical professionals, it is a reminder that accommodating patients by issuing prescriptions without direct examination carries criminal exposure. For patients who regularly use prescribed psychotropic medications and find in-person visit requirements inconvenient, the case illustrates the legal limits of workaround arrangements.

Article: https://www.hankyung.com/article/202609218723H

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