It seems unclear whether 2nE1 member Park Bom will return to the program "Roommate." Until she became involved in a drug scandal this week, the singer was one of the more entertaining celebrity roommates who must live together on the variety show.
On June 30, Segye Ilbo reported a 2010 incident in which the singer was accused of smuggling drugs that are illegal in Korea. The singer tried to bring amphetamine pulls into the country, which are not legal in Korea. Park reportedly mailed them to her grandmother in a package.
After an investigation, the singer was not prosecuted. The Segye Ilbo accused prosecution officials of being soft on the singer just because she was a member of the popular girl group.
But prosecution officials said that they took the case very seriously and thoroughly investigated it. They said that Park did not receive any preferential treatment.
The prosecution officials were quoted in the Segye Ilbo report as saying. "Through our investigation, we confirmed that Park had been prescribed amphetamines in the U.S. When she came to Korea, she felt that the drugs that contained no amphetamines did not work as well, so she ordered amphetamine pills based on what she had been prescribed in the U.S."
Once the officials saw the singer's medical record and prescription from the hospital, they ended the investigation.
Yang Hyun Suk, the president of 2NE1's agency YG Entertainment wrote a personal letter to the public explaining the reason that Park Bom was prescribed the drugs. She received the prescription in an American hospital. The drugs were part of a treatment plan to deal with the trauma she suffered after witnessing a friend's death. Her busy schedule did not permit her to go to the states, so she had the medication mailed to her grandmother.
Yang Hyun Suk said the singer did not realize there would be a problem.
But negative publicity can damage a show's ratings even if the person is ultimately declared innocent.
A representative of "Roommate" told allkpop, that the production company was currently sorting out their position on the matter. As she was cleared of the charges, there may not be a problem featuring her on the show. But they are being cautious.
"We held an emergency meeting after the staff learned about Bom's news," said the production company representative. "There is nothing that can be said at the moment. We are currently talking it over."
Park Bom was born in Korea but left to study in the U.S. while she was in sixth grade. She attended the Gould Academy in Maine for high school and then Lesley University to study psychology. She switched to the Berklee College of Music to pursue a musical career. It took her several auditions to be accepted by YG Entertainment.
The other celebrities in "Roommate" include Hong Soo Hyun, Lee Dong Wook, Nana and Seo Kang Joon.
