K-pop icon Psy, best known for his global smash hit Gangnam Style, has been arrested on suspicion of illegally obtaining prescription medication, according to South Korean authorities.
The 47-year-old rapper, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, was detained after investigators alleged he received drugs such as Xanax and Stilnox without undergoing mandatory in-person consultations. Under South Korea’s Medical Service Act, patients must see a doctor directly before being prescribed habit-forming medications.
Officials at Seoul’s Seodaemun police station confirmed Psy is under investigation alongside a university hospital doctor accused of facilitating the prescriptions. Investigators claim that from 2022, third parties — including Psy’s manager — collected the medications on his behalf.
The probe began following a tip-off, leading authorities to raid the hospital and seize medical records. The doctor involved has denied any wrongdoing, insisting Psy was treated remotely.
Psy’s management agency, P Nation, issued an apology while defending the singer. “Psy has been diagnosed with a chronic sleep disorder and is taking medication as prescribed by his doctor,” the statement read. “Although third parties collected the medication in some cases, there was no proxy prescription. We acknowledge this was a mistake and an oversight.”
The controversy marks a dramatic turn for the artist who once symbolized South Korea’s cultural reach worldwide. Born into a wealthy family in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, Psy achieved international fame in 2012 with Gangnam Style, a satirical ode to his upbringing that sparked a global dance craze and became the first YouTube video to surpass one billion views. It has since been viewed more than 5.7 billion times.
Despite periodic controversies in his home country, Psy cemented his place as a K-pop ambassador, performing at the 2013 presidential inauguration and continuing to fill arenas in South Korea. In 2015, a golden statue of clasped hands imitating his iconic horse-riding dance was unveiled in Gangnam, a testament to his cultural legacy.
