‘Gangnam Style’ hitmaker under police investigation for receiving psychotropic drugs without in-person consultation
The man behind ‘Gangnam Style’ and host of upcoming AppleTV+’s “KPOPPED” is under police investigation as of August 27 for alleged violations of South Korea’s medical laws. Specifically, he is under investigation for being prescribed and receiving psychotropic drugs without in-person consultation. Allegedly, he has been receiving the drugs, which have been identified as Xanax and Zolpidem, through his manager.
The allegations were made under anonymous tips that a professor from an unspecified university hospital has been prescribing and handing over drugs by proxy to PSY. The professor has so far denied any wrong-doing, claiming that he consulted PSY remotely. It has been reported that PSY has been receiving drugs through his manager since 2022.
After news broke about PSY, his team immediately released a statement admitting that PSY apologizes his obvious mistake and carelessness. Since COVID, he has been prescribed the drugs remotely and later on continued remote prescription due to his busy schedule. While he admitted picking up the drug through a third party, aka his manager, he denied ever being prescribed under a third party. He has also never abused the drugs or used it for any other purpose than to treat chronic sleep disorder.
The timing is really unfortunate as PSY has been making headlines for his recent annual concert. Will this news affect his upcoming much anticipated show Apple TV+’s “KPOPPED”?! Investigations are still ongoing and I’ll keep an eye out for any important updates. 👀
👩🏻🍵 Kayla’s Thoughts
These kinds of stories always frustrate me because they expose such a cultural divide. 😕 For international fans, Xanax or sleeping pills don’t raise eyebrows. But in Korea, any association with drugs or military duty still carries a heavy stigma.
PSY’s case feels especially bittersweet. Yes, he had scandals in the early 2000s—marijuana use, a messy military service issue—but after “Gangnam Style” turned him into a global household name, he reinvented himself. His annual concerts, hit singles, and role as the head of P Nation put him back in the spotlight as a beloved entertainer.
That’s why this incident feels like such a stumble. And honestly? People have every right to be upset. At the end of the day, he did break the law. ☹️ Remote prescriptions and proxy pickups aren’t legal in Korea, and even if it seems harmless compared to what Western celebrities get away with, it’s still a violation. 🤷🏻♀️ Anger is justified—even if trolling him on social media isn’t.
It’s not career-ending, but it does chip away at the carefully rebuilt public trust he’s enjoyed for over a decade. And the timing? Suspicious, to say the least. 🧐 Summer Swag concert ended on August 24, and this news suddenly broke on the 27th. It’s hard not to wonder if headlines were delayed until after his big concert wrapped. 🤔
