[Dispatch=Park Hye-jin Reporter] Singer Psy (real name Park Jae-sang, 48) has been summarily indicted on charges of proxy prescription of sleeping pills.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office summarily indicted Psy and Professor A of a university hospital who prescribed the medication to him on charges of violating the Medical Act on the 22nd of last month. Four individuals including his manager were given suspended prosecution.

Summary indictment is a procedure in which prosecutors request a court to impose fines and other penalties through written review only, without formal trial proceedings.

Psy was diagnosed with chronic sleep disorder and had been taking sleeping pills. He is accused of having his manager proxy-receive sleeping pills from 2022 to last year.

Under current law, sleeping pills are classified as psychoactive substances. Prescription after face-to-face examination by a doctor is the principle. According to Article 17-2 of the Medical Act, proxy receipt is not permitted even by immediate family members unless there are exceptional reasons such as the patient being unconscious or unable to move.

A doctor who issued a prescription by violating proxy receipt requirements can face imprisonment of one year or less or a fine of 10 million won or less, and a proxy recipient who received a prescription in violation of regulations can face a fine of 5 million won or less.

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