Comedian Park Na-rae has come under fire after revelations surfaced that she received IV treatments outside of a medical facility from a so-called “injection aunt” a slang term referring to individuals who administer injections without proper prescriptions or licenses. The controversy has reignited nationwide scrutiny over the widespread yet underground practice of illegal home IV services in South Korea.

The individual in question, known as A, responded to the accusations on December 7 through a social media post, claiming to have studied under hardship in Inner Mongolia over a decade ago. A further claimed to have served as the youngest professor both locally and internationally at a hospital affiliated with Inner Mongolia’s “Pogang Medical University” and asserted involvement in attracting a Korean plastic surgery center with help from Chinese officials.

A backed up the claims by sharing photos in a doctor’s coat and videos from local media interviews. However, the post was swiftly deleted after it drew a flood of comments questioning whether A possessed a valid medical license in Korea.

Korean medical professionals quickly pushed back. A group named Doctors for a Fair Society issued a statement calling the so-called university nonexistent, labeling it a “ghost medical school.” Even if A had graduated from a Chinese institution, they emphasized that Chinese medical school graduates are ineligible for Korea’s national medical licensing exam. Thus, A’s actions clearly violate Korean law.

Illegal “visit injection” services have long existed in the shadows, often promoted via online forums and word of mouth. Posts on a popular internet cafe with millions of members recount experiences such as, “They gave flu shots at church,” or, “They locked the store door to administer the IV.” Ads for services like “Garlic, Glutathione, Cinderella, and Placenta IVs for 100,000 KRW per session Seoul only” also appear regularly.

This issue has sparked controversy in the past. In 2018, a fire victim in Seoul’s Cheonho-dong was found to have relied on illegal injections. In October 2020, unlicensed IV services without prescriptions led to a COVID-19 cluster infection. Experts have warned that such unregulated procedures pose severe risks to patient safety and public health. They stress that the exact effects of injected substances are difficult to track, and the lack of hygiene and quality control makes these acts dangerous crimes rather than mere medical shortcuts.

This scandal follows closely on the heels of abuse allegations involving Park’s former managers, which emerged on December 3. The new allegations on December 6 claim that A, the so-called injection aunt, frequently visited Park to administer IV drips and even prescribed antidepressants. Shockingly, A is said to have accompanied Park during overseas schedules as well.

In response, Park Na-rae’s agency stated, “We believed the individual was a licensed doctor. There was no illegal medical practice. Park only received IV drips via house calls, and they haven’t been in contact for some time now.”

Sources: Daum