SHINee's Onew reiterates denial after police probe over unlicensed medical treatments

SHINee member Onew has reiterated his position after being questioned by police on suspicion of receiving unlicensed medical treatments from a person known as the "injection aunt."

Onew's agency, Griffin Entertainment, said Wednesday in an official statement that "as disclosed last December, Onew simply visited a medical institution on the recommendation of an acquaintance and received skin care treatment."

The agency said "at the time, Onew recognized the individual as a doctor or a medical professional affiliated with the hospital, and there were no circumstances that would have led him to suspect any irregularities in the person's medical license or the legality of the procedures."

The agency also said Onew "truthfully provided the above facts during a related investigation conducted once in May and cooperated faithfully with the investigative authorities," adding that it hoped "unverified speculation or inaccurate information does not spread while the investigation is ongoing." The statement said the agency would "continue to do its best to protect the rights and interests of its artists."

According to police, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul questioned Onew and broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo as suspects in May and June. Last month, police completed their probe of SHINee's Key and YouTuber Ipsjabeun Haetnim. Comedian Park Na-rae also underwent a third round of police questioning in May on the same charges.

All are suspected of receiving unofficial medical treatments from an unlicensed practitioner identified only as A. The suspect is accused of administering intravenous drips and prescribing antidepressants — a controlled prescription drug — in private settings such as officetels and inside vehicles, despite holding no medical license in South Korea. Police issued a travel ban against A toward the end of last year and conducted a search and seizure of the suspect's residence and other locations.

When the allegations first surfaced last December, Onew's agency said he had visited a hospital in Sinsa-dong where A worked in April 2022 at the suggestion of an acquaintance, and that "it was difficult to recognize the practice as unlicensed given the scale of the hospital at the time." Regarding a signed CD that became the subject of controversy, the agency said it "was simply a token of gratitude for the smooth medical care received."