Propofol prescribed to actor Yoo Ah-in between January and December 2021 exceeded 4.4 litres in total. Photo: Yoo Ah-in/Instagram
South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in was administered propofol 73 times in 2021, the police said, quoting data submitted by the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Propofol prescribed to the 36-year-old between January and December 2021 exceeded 4.4 litres in total.
The intravenous anaesthetic agent was used six times a month, far more frequently than the advised usage of the drug for simple procedures and diagnoses which is once a month, according to investigators and South Korean reports.
The record was added in the search and seizure warrant over Yoo’s alleged illegal drug use, they added.
Propofol is a powerful sleep-inducing drug commonly used in surgery. It is illegal in South Korea to use the drug for any other purpose than surgery and less invasive procedures such as endoscopies.
Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, has been under police investigation after a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety report alleged that he had purchased propofol for purposes other than medical treatments since 2021.
The ministry requested that the police investigate a list of people suspected of illegal drug use based on its own Narcotics Information Management System, which displays information about the medical facilities that prescribe much higher doses than the average and those who are administered such doses.
Earlier in February, the police sent Yoo’s hair and urine samples to the National Forensic Service for tests after questioning. The urine sample came back positive for propofol as well as marijuana, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
