Broadcaster Park Na-rae, who faces allegations of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo

Police are looking into broadcaster Park Na-rae for alleged violations of the Narcotics Control Act.

It was confirmed on the 9th that the Seoul Gangnam Police Station had assigned an investigative team on the 8th and launched a probe into a complaint seeking punishment of Park Na-rae; Mr. Lee, identified as the ‘Injection Aunt’; Park Na-rae’s managers; unidentified medical personnel·pharmacists; and others for alleged violations of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances), the Medical Service Act·Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the Wastes Control Act, and the Special Act on the Control of Health Crimes.

They have also received and are reviewing a civil petition requesting an emergency exit ban on Mr. Lee.

Park Na-rae is currently engulfed in suspicions that she received illegal medical procedures from Mr. A, known as the ‘Injection Aunt’. According to Dispatch on the 6th, Park Na-rae received medications such as antidepressants from Mr. A and was given IV drips in Mr. A’s officetel or in her own vehicle, rather than at a medical institution.

There are also allegations that Mr. A accompanied Park Na-rae on overseas schedules and administered IV fluids after being called to the airport.

After these suspicions surfaced, Mr. Lee posted photos of himself wearing a medical gown on his social networking service (SNS) and claimed he was the youngest professor at Pogang University Hospital. However, after a physicians group issued a statement saying ‘Pogang College of Medicine did not exist’, he deleted all SNS posts.

There have also been continued claims that the pills, including the ‘bedtime medicine’ Park Na-rae received from Mr. Lee, such as the ○○○○ capsule (a neuropsychiatric agent), resemble Rivotril tablets, a clonazepam product.

In addition, suspicions of involvement with other celebrities are growing, as Mr. Lee’s SNS has featured, among other things, the pet dog of SHINee member Key, leading to louder calls for an investigation.

In addition to the present complaint, Mr. Lee, the ‘Injection Aunt’, was also additionally reported by an official from a medical association. Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Association, said on the 8th that he filed a complaint against Mr. Lee on charges including violations of the Medical Service Act·Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and fraud, adding, “We also requested an investigation into whether Mr. Lee’s husband, Park Na-rae’s managers, and Park Na-rae are joint principals·accessories.”

On the 8th, Park Na-rae posted a long message on SNS and announced a suspension of activities. However, she did not address her relationship with the ‘Injection Aunt’ or the alleged legal violations.

Attorney Jung Tae-won of law firm LKB Pyeongsan said, “The crux of this case is not whether a celebrity strayed, but whether it is true that a non-medical professional provided drugs and administered injections·IV fluids.” He added, “If the drug in question is a psychotropic medication, the main issues will be whether it was provided without a prescription and whether it was repeatedly administered outside a medical institution.”

He continued, “However, to hold the patient personally criminally liable, it is important whether she knew the drug was illegal and whether there was involvement beyond simply ‘believing the person was a medical professional and receiving the treatment’.” He added, “For violations of the Medical Service Act as well, the focus is on the practitioner’s license, the place of the procedure, and whether it was for profit. This case goes beyond a celebrity scandal and shows the risks of illegal medical practices that can occur casually in everyday life. The outcome of the investigation carries greater meaning for what warning it gives to our society’s standards for medical oversight, in addition to individual liability.”