Koreans React To The Shocking Amount of Drugs Actor Yoo Ah In Abused, Convinced The Police "Saved" Him

The latest reports from SBS news confirmed that actor Yoo Ah In had abused the substance “propofol” over 73 times in 2021.

Further investigation revealed that, in each instance, he was given up to two fluid ounces (around 60ml) of propofol, making his total usage in 2021 close to 150 fluid ounces (around 4,400ml)…

…when the guided medical amount is around 0.15 to 0.3 fluid ounces (around 5-10ml) per use.

In fact, as minister Oh Yu Kyung told the press, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea (MFDS) was able to track down Yoo Ah In’s substance abuse because of the sheer amount of propofol he was given.

As of 2022, the database at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea has recorded over 650,000,000 cases of who was prescribed what kind of psychoactive drugs at which volume. The database lets us know which hospitals over-prescribe and which individuals receive excessive prescriptions. We reported the top 51 individuals who, based on the database, seemed to have drug abuse problems to the Seoul Police Department—Mr. Um Hong Sik was one of those 51. We had no idea it was the actor Yoo Ah In when handing his information over to the police.

— Minister Oh Yu Kyung

SBS reported that the police are now reviewing records from 2020 and into 2022 as well, believing that his abuse has been going on for far longer.

Following the news, Koreans took to online communities, expressing their shock at the seriousness of Yoo Ah In’s apparent drug addiction.

“He should be relieved that he got caught… What in the world?!”
“Wow… I was given 10ml of propofol once because it didn’t work for me… I think he started using more and more because he grew numb to the substance.”
“Whoa… He almost overdosed, then. And I thought I had it bad when I couldn’t wake up from an endoscopic exam.”
“He could’ve died…”
“It’s as if he tried to sleep himself to death. I don’t get it. How come his doctors allowed him to take so much? Was it for the cash?”
“Propofol addiction is real. He could’ve had a cardiac arrest in his sleep.”
“The police saved his life.”
“I’m mind-blown that his doctors let him take so much. Wasn’t it clear that he could’ve overdosed at some point? The MFDS saved his life.”
“Is it even possible to take so much at once? He could’ve died in his sleep.”

Some also pointed out that, thanks to the police intervention, the actor “might have saved from overdosing in the near future.”

“He was saved from his own demise…”
“He could’ve died. He must be in a much worse condition [than we think].”
“Did he not think for a second that he could get tracked down?”
“It’s possible that he was struggling with some sort of a mental issue… Though, I wish he would’ve opted for a therapist. Sigh.”
“At this point, it was the South Korean police who saved his life.”
“I can’t believe his doctor would let him go so far… Was it for Yoo Ah In’s money? What’s wrong with them all?”
“As far as I know, in surgical settings, the max is 20ml to put someone under… I can’t even begin to imagine how 60ml was possible. It’s a miracle that he was able to wake up from it.”

Propofol is an anesthetic and a sedative and is relatively easier to access for medical professionals in Korea and around the world. Because propofol can be prescribed without much restrictions, it has become one of the most abused substances in Korea.

Studies and researchers alike have voiced concerns, though, that propofol abuse and addiction can lead to death.

Clinical and experimental evidence has revealed that not only does propofol have the potential to be abused, but also that addiction to propofol shows a high mortality rate.

— Ming Xiong, Department of Anesthesiology at Rutgers University

Meanwhile, Yoo Ah In has tested positive for an unknown third substance.

No updates have been released on what the third drug is—though Koreans believe, with a track record of abusing not one, not two, but three different substances, Yoo Ah In’s career in the entertainment field is over.