A court convicted Korean singer-songwriter Wheesung, 39, of abusing the narcotic and psychotropic drug propofol, an injectable anesthetic.
The Daegu District Court on March 9 sentenced Wheesung to one year in prison suspended for two years. He was also ordered to do 40 hours of community service and 40 hours of drug therapy lectures, and pay a fine of 60.5 million won (about $53,000).
In its decision, the court said Wheesung “is a famous celebrity who has been loved by the public and had to set an example because of his social influence but he did not."
In his first trial on Jan. 19, prosecutors asked the court to sentence Wheesung to three years in prison during which he admitted the charges and said, “I’m sorry. I made a big mistake.”
Wheesung was charged for using propofol several times in December 2019 and he was also caught buying the drug from a dealer.
Propofol is a highly regulated drug in South Korea that the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued standards to prevent its misuse and abuse.
The ministry issued a notice last September to set standards for the use of narcotic drugs propofol and zolpidem. It said propofol is a “psychotropic drug used to induce and maintain the general anesthetic state.”
“Medical professionals must properly adjust propofol dose based on the patient’s weight, always bearing in mind that propofol has a high risk of misuse and abuse. Propofol should not be administered independently without reasons related to surgery, surgical procedures, or medical examinations,” the ministry said.
It also “advised that the number of propofol injection for simple surgical procedures does not exceed once every month and that medical professionals check on the patient’s propofol usage history before prescribing.”
Wheesung and an acquaintance were indicted last Aug. 31 for violating Korea’s Narcotics Control Act.
This was not the first time that Wheesung was involved in the use of propofol. In 2013, he was investigated for using propofol while he was fulfilling his military service. He was accused of using propofol from 2011 to early 2013 in various places including dermatology clinics in Gangnam, Seoul. No charges were filed against him.
In March and April 2020, Wheesung was found passed out in a bathroom of a shopping mall in Seoul and in a bathroom of a hotel. It was later found that he took etomidate, another injectable anesthetic, which is described as the “second propofol.” No charges were filed.
Wheesung participated as a songwriter for tracks of many K-pop artists including Super Junior, BoA, TVXQ, SHINee and Girls’ Generation, and recorded original soundtracks for Korean dramas such as "Moon Embracing the Sun" and "It's Okay, That's Love."
Meanwhile, K-pop star BoA was investigated by prosecutors last December for allegedly smuggling psychotropic drugs to South Korea from Japan.
BoA was summoned on Dec. 16 for attempting to smuggle the drugs including zolpidem, used to treat insomnia, through an employee of SM Entertainment’s Japan office and bring them to Korea under the name of an employee of the agency in Korea.
SM Entertainment said the smuggling was a mistake, saying, "Our employee received the drugs at a local hospital following due procedures but was not aware that it could be a problem in South Korea even though the drugs were prescribed normally abroad,” Yonhap News reported.
The ministry said the use of zolpidem “must be approached with caution as it can lead to drug abuse and dependence. In addition, zolpidem’s drug use period should not exceed 4 weeks, and zolpidem should not be used on patients under 18.”
Importation of psychotropic drugs into Korea needs proper clearance from authorities and must follow customs procedures. SM Entertainment said the employee did not have knowledge on customs procedures.