Actress Park Si Yeon appeared in court this week. It was the seventh hearing in the case that involved her alleged abuse of the drug propofol. Park Si Yeon and fellow actresses Jang Mi In Ae and Lee Seung Yeon are accused abusing the controversial drug, which was implicated in the death of superstar Michael Jackson.
Park, who is seven months pregnant, seemed calm. Family members, her manager and representatives from her agency accompanied her.
At the last hearing, a doctor testified that he prescribed the narcotic, also known as "milk of amnesia," to ease the pain Park Si Yeon felt due to a rare bone condition caused by a traumatic injury.
According to her agency EYAGI Entertainment, she sustained injuries while filming the movies "Marine Boy" and "Dachimawa Lee." Although she was treated for her injuries, the pain did not go away and resulted in her having to leave the SBS show "Family Outing." The traumatic injury led to permanent and painful bone damage.
Propofol helped relieve the pain, said her doctor, and that's why he prescribed it for her. Park Si Yeon's indictment was at least partially due to statements the same doctor made. He originally claimed that she was dependent on the drug, which can induce a euphoric state and hallucinations. At the sixth hearing, the doctor said he lied when he told prosecutors that she was dependent on the drug. He asked the actress to forgive him.
"Park Si Yeon did not receive any treatment at the hospital other than pain treatment," he said. "The receipts match up. I lied when I told prosecution she was dependent on the drug. I am very sorry."
The actress, who appeared in "My Girl," "Coffee House" and "Innocent Man," was charged with using the drug 185 times between February 2011 and December 2012. A guilty verdict on these charges could damage her career. All three networks are waiting for the outcome of this case before deciding whether to ban her from their shows.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indictment also claimed that Lee Seung Yeon used the drug 111 times last year and Jang Mi In Ae 95 times during a few months. The drugs were prescribed at a Gangnam cosmetic surgery clinic supposedly to counter the pain endured during skin treatments.
Seven people were charged as a result of the original propofol investigation, including two doctors and an entertainment CEO who asked doctors to destroy records of actresses attending the clinics. Three nurses were called on as witnesses at this trial.
