Jeon Hyun-moo faces police probe over in-car IV scene; Denies any illegal treatment

Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo is under police investigation after a nine-year-old TV scene showing him receiving an IV drip inside a car resurfaced and prompted a complaint alleging violation of Korea's Medical Service Act, according to Yonhap News and other Korean media reports. The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of unlicensed medical procedures in the entertainment industry, making the case closely watched by both viewers and regulators. Seoul's Gangnam Police Station confirmed it received a petition via the government's e-People portal requesting a probe into whether the IV administration in Jeon's vehicle complied with medical law. The footage, originally aired in 2016 on MBC variety show 'I Live Alone', shows the TV host sitting in a passenger seat while connected to an IV line, a scene that has now been re-examined online. Jeon's agency SM C&C has released copies of medical records from 2016, saying he was treated at a hospital for pharyngitis, laryngitis and gastroesophageal reflux and then continued part of the treatment while travelling under a doctor's judgment. The company insists all procedures, except the final stage completed in transit, were conducted inside a medical institution according to prescription, calling the in-car IV "a lawful extension of hospital care" rather than an illegal home-visit service. Korean media and medical experts note that, under the Medical Service Act, most medical procedures must take place inside registered hospitals or clinics, with limited exceptions such as ambulances or disaster situations. This framework raises questions over whether even doctor-supervised IV drips in private vehicles can be deemed lawful, a point investigators are expected to scrutinize in Jeon's case. The renewed focus on Jeon follows a broader scandal involving comedian Park Na-rae, whose so-called "injection aunt" has been confirmed by the Korean Medical Association as lacking a domestic medical license. Several entertainers, including SHINee's Key and YouTuber "Ipjjalbbeun Haetnim", have halted activities after acknowledging they received IV or injection treatments from the same unlicensed figure, deepening industry concerns over underground aesthetic and wellness procedures.