Onew’s Agency Clarifies His Questioning in Unlicensed Medical Treatment Investigation

Griffin Entertainment has issued a statement explaining SHINee member Onew’s position after he was questioned in an investigation involving a person accused of providing medical services without a Korean license. The agency said Onew believed the person involved in his treatment was a doctor or another medical professional connected to a clinic.

The statement was released on the evening of August 12 while the police inquiry remained in progress. No final investigative finding concerning Onew was announced, making the distinction between the agency’s account, the broader allegations and any eventual legal conclusion especially important.

What Onew’s agency said

Onew visited a clinic that had been introduced by an acquaintance for skincare treatment, the agency stated. He understood the individual in question to be a physician or a medical worker affiliated with that clinic.

The company added that the circumstances did not give Onew a reason to doubt the person’s license or the legitimacy of the procedures. This is the agency’s explanation of his knowledge at the time; investigators are responsible for establishing the facts and deciding whether any legal violations occurred.

Onew was questioned in May and gave his account to investigators, the statement said. Griffin Entertainment asked the public not to circulate unconfirmed speculation or information that conflicts with the facts while the investigation is underway.

The statement does not announce that the case has concluded, nor does it provide a charging decision. It is a clarification of Onew’s position during an active inquiry rather than a final ruling by police or prosecutors.

The wider investigation

The investigation concerns allegations that a woman described publicly by the nickname “injection auntie” provided intravenous injections and prescribed antidepressants despite not holding a domestic medical license. The alleged services were said to have taken place in locations including offices and vehicles.

Comedian Park Na Rae was named in connection with the wider allegations. As investigators examined whether other entertainment figures had received services from the same person, Seoul Gangnam Police questioned several individuals, including broadcaster Jun Hyun Moo, YouTuber Lickerish Hatnim, SHINee’s Key and Onew.

Being questioned in an investigation does not by itself establish wrongdoing. Interviews can be used to determine what treatment occurred, where it happened, who arranged it and what each person understood about the provider’s qualifications.

The central issue described in Onew’s agency statement is his claimed understanding of the provider’s professional status. That question is separate from the allegation that the provider lacked a Korean medical license, which is part of the broader matter under investigation.

Why precise language matters

Entertainment investigations often spread rapidly through headlines and social media before authorities complete their work. In this case, the available information contains several different layers: allegations about the provider, police interviews with public figures and an agency statement describing one artist’s understanding of his treatment.

Those layers should not be treated as interchangeable. The allegation against the provider is not automatically proof that every person questioned knowingly participated in an illegal procedure. Likewise, an agency explanation is not a substitute for the evidence review and legal assessment conducted by investigators.

The inquiry’s unresolved status also means that descriptions of guilt, innocence or intent would go beyond the confirmed information. The facts currently available show that Onew was questioned, that his agency says he believed the individual was a legitimate medical professional and that the police investigation continues.

Further clarity may come through an official police update, a referral decision or a conclusion that no additional action is warranted. Until one of those steps occurs, the most accurate account is procedural rather than speculative.

Onew and Griffin Entertainment have not announced further details about the specific skincare procedure or the evidence presented during his May interview. The agency’s August 12 statement remains its formal response, centered on his claimed lack of awareness about any licensing problem and its request that the public avoid unsupported claims.