Broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo was photographed receiving an intravenous drip inside a vehicle and became the subject of an investigation, and he moved quickly to dispel suspicions by releasing medical records from nine years ago.
Recently, as Park Narae's 'injection aunt' controversy spread like wildfire and public criticism of illegal medical practices heated up, multiple entertainers were implicated and the firebrand reached Jun Hyun-moo.
A clip from the MBC entertainment program I Live Alone broadcast in 2016, in which Jun Hyun-moo was seen receiving an intravenous drip in his car, resurfaced and drew belated attention.
At the time, Jun Hyun-moo, who was suffering from vocal cord nodules due to a busy schedule, shared a photo of himself receiving an intravenous drip in his car in a group messenger chat, and as that photo was reexamined online, Jun Hyun-moo was also swept up in allegations of illegal medical procedures.
In response, agency SM C&C said that Jun Hyun-moo's throat condition was not good at the time, and he received treatment after being examined and prescribed by the attending doctor at the hospital. Because there was not enough time before the filming schedule, the doctor's judgment required finishing the procedure while moving, and part of that process was exposed on the broadcast, the agency said.
They went on to say, "Except for the completion of the procedure, all medical acts were carried out in the hospital according to the medical staff's judgment and prescription. There was no personal summons of medical personnel or receipt of illegal procedures," and emphasized, "The current allegations arose from misunderstandings triggered when some scenes were discussed online without the overall situation and context at the time being fully conveyed."
However, on the 23rd, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station received a complaint asking them to verify the medical institution and the facts of medical acts that treated Jun Hyun-moo's intravenous drip in his vehicle and launched an investigation. The complaint sought an investigation into the unidentified person who administered the intravenous fluid (ringer) to Jun Hyun-moo and those involved.
Ultimately, the agency said this matter concerns medical acts from about nine years ago and that the subject needed to visit the hospital in person to obtain records, and took the extraordinary step of releasing copies of the 2016 medical records, copies of the hospital's income statistics, and records detailing medical waste disposal methods.
Jun Hyun-moo's side emphasized, "It is proven that formal medical treatment was received at the hospital on Jan. 14, Jan. 20 and Jan. 26, 2016. The medical records accurately record all basic treatment-related items, including the date and time of treatment, the patient's name, the diagnosis, details of symptoms and the hospital name."
Regarding the copy of the hospital's income statistics, they explained, "It is confirmed through the official income amount of the medical institution and the details of medical fee receipts for the treatment dates above that the treatment was processed as the cost of formal medical care," and clarified about medical waste disposal, "After the fluid treatment on Jan. 20, 2016, as instructed by the medical staff in advance, the medical waste that had been kept was returned when revisiting the hospital on Jan. 26."
They added, "The treatment in question centered on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and stomach medicine for diagnoses such as pharyngitis, laryngitis and gastroesophageal reflux, and the fluid was part of medical acts to assist treatment. These materials show that Jun Hyun-moo's medical treatment at the time was an extension of lawful medical care provided at the medical institution under the judgment of medical staff," and said, "The current allegations are not true, and if fact-checking procedures by related agencies proceed in the future, we will faithfully submit relevant materials and actively cooperate."
In this way, Jun Hyun-moo's side quickly responded to the raised suspicions by releasing medical records. It was a measure meant to clearly prove that the 'illegal procedure' controversy being amplified online was not true, and the swift explanation by Jun Hyun-moo's side is expected to help promptly resolve the controversy during the forthcoming investigation.
[Photos] OSEN DB, video capture, SM C&C
[OSEN]