Chae Seung-seok, son of the Aekyung Group founder and himself formerly CEO of Aekyung Development, is being investigated by prosecutors over alleged abuse of propofol, a highly addictive and short-acting anesthesia.

According to legal sources on Friday, Chae, the third son of the group’s Chairwoman Chang Young-shin, was recently interrogated by the prosecution over nonmedical use of propofol.

The powerful sedative, a general anesthetic commonly used for surgery, has been the source of controversy in Korea before due to abusive use by high-profile figures and celebrities. The drug effectively reduces anxiety but may cause hallucinations at higher dosages. The drug is also known as a “milk injection” because of its white color.

The prosecution reportedly discovered Chae’s use of propofol while investigating a plastic surgery clinic in the Gangnam area of Seoul over illegal injections of the drug.

The 49-year-old scion voluntarily resigned from his position as president of the Aekyung Group affiliate when the prosecution launched the probe, the company said.

Chae admitted receiving propofol injections only for medical purpose and denied any unlawful use, according to several local media outlets.

The prosecution will soon decide whether to indict Chae for violations of the Narcotics Control Act.


By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)