The woman known as Park Na-rae’s “injection aunt,” who allegedly administered vitamin drips and injections to the comedian, is not licensed to practice medicine in Korea, according to the Korean Medical Association (KMA).
The KMA condemned the situation as “clear, illegal practice by an unlicensed person” and urged the government and law enforcement to carry out a thorough investigation.
In a Dec. 8 statement, the association said the case appears to violate the Medical Service Act and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and poses a serious risk to public health. After checking its internal database, the KMA said the individual, identified as A, is not registered as a licensed physician in Korea.
Medical procedures in Korea require a physician’s license issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the KMA noted, adding that injections, prescribing, or administering medications by non-medical personnel are never permitted―even under the guise of a house call or “helping a friend.”
Media reports have also flagged the possible involvement of clonazepam―a controlled substance―and trazodone, a prescription medication.
The KMA called on authorities to trace any illegal supply routes for those drugs―whether via wholesaler leaks or unlawful prescriptions―and to investigate everyone tied to the distribution chain.
Park’s camp previously maintained she only received vitamin infusions from a licensed professional and denied any wrongdoing, but questions over A’s Korean licensing status had remained unresolved.
A, meanwhile, has touted overseas credentials on social media, including claims of being the “youngest professor” at Pogang Hospital in Inner Mongolia and a “director” at a Korean plastic surgery center. After the controversy intensified, the account was set to private.
Doctors emphasize that even if those overseas claims were true, anyone performing medical procedures in Korea must hold a Korean medical license. They also warn that treatments conducted in non-medical settings―such as officetels or inside vehicles―are highly likely to violate the law.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is monitoring an ongoing prosecution probe and will consider an administrative investigation if necessary.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)