2NE1 member Park Bom has recently been under fire for an alleged incident in which she supposedly attempted to illegally obtain prescription drugs. YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk has spoken out in support of Park Bom, however it appears as though the situation is escalating as the media and those within law enforcement continue to press on.

The allegations have now impacted her appearance SBS reality program "Roommates," with the 2NE1 star bowing out of taping the show. This news follows speculation that Park Bom would be removed from the cast, which was denied by “Roommates” producers.

Park Bom was one of the standout members of the cast of the SBS reality show, which has struggled with domestic ratings. The scripted romance between Park Bom and actor Lee Dong Wook appealed to fans, helping to generate international buzz for a program that was not necessarily reeling in Korean audiences.

 The 2NE1 vocalist is currently touring with her group, in support of their critically acclaimed album “Crush.”

In a year that has been dominated by relationship scandals and news featuring Girls' Generation, 2NE1 has maintained above the fray of controversy.

While 2NE1 have had limited controversy, Park Bom has repeatedly been the subject of media scrutiny and has garnered negative feedback from anti-fans. Prior allegations have included criticism regarding alleged plastic surgery addiction and whether or not her voice was affected by a problem with lymph nodes.

However, these recent allegations have raised questions over the innocence of Park Bom, her motivation to take prescription medication, and whether this news was intended to divert attention from the SEWOL Ferry investigations.

What information has been released, so far?

In 2010, a package containing prescription Amphetamine pills were flagged at Incheon International Airport by customs agents. This package was addressed to Park Bom, with the address of her grandmother listed as a mailing address.

YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk addressed concerns regarding this incident on July 1, stating, “Back then, Bom’s parents paid a private visit to inform me her family had been investigated due to the incident, and revealed to me for the first time, in private, a shocking incident Bom experienced in the past along with her medical history. So until the articles were published, neither YG members nor the members of 2NE1 had the knowledge about the incident.”

It is a lengthy statement which can still be found on the YG Entertainment blog, YG Life. Yang Hyun Suk has been known to stand by his artists and conflicts within their lives. It is respectable that he remained this steadfast to Park Bom.

Included within the allegations are reports that Park Bom has not been accurately reporting her age, but what woman over 25 actually does?

However, on July 5 it was announced that Bom would be voluntarily leaving from “Roommates.”

Has Korean tabloid media gone too far? 

On a personal level, I enjoy the music of Park Bom and 2NE1. “Forever With U,” her 2007 collaboration with Big Bang remains one of my all-time favorite K-Pop songs.

Personal sentiment aside, my concern over Park Bom and the drug allegation situation has less to do with whether or not she is guilty, but how the issue is being dealt with by Korean media.

It appears as if the news draught which shrouded Korean entertainment outlets following the SEWOL Ferry tragedy may have given way to a new breed of invasive journalism within Korea.

Articles regarding comebacks and music videos have become tainted by stories that have grown in their allegations against artists, which appear to have reached a culmination with the recent allegations against 2NE1's Park Bom.

Western media, with American and British outlets amongst the most egregious, has evolved over the years from merely covering news via outlets like "Entertainment Weekly" to the more invasive "TMZ."

While this pervasive and invasive coverage can be entertaining from an audience perspective, it can be damaging to the entertainers. British press took one of their biggest hits following the August 1997 paparazzi car chase which left Princess Diana dead.

What does this have to do with the current state of Korean media and recent scandal news such as the allegations against Park Bom? 

Fans of K-Pop and Korean entertainment want up to the minute news, often with disregard for the source.

Outlets such as Dispatch have found that their news needs to become more sensational for readers to follow their coverage. Publications outside of Korea continue to pass on the information gathered by Dispatch, even as it has become increasingly intrusive.

It is not without coincidence that Dispatch has led to the relationship reveal of many top idols and have been responsible for breaking numerous scandals.

However, fans have become increasingly suspicious of stories which reek of mud-slinging.

The recent Park Bom story is one that most fans and many journalists, including myself, were suspicious of. Why is an event which occurred four years ago finally seeing the light of day?

One hypothesis which sounds implausible, but holds great possibility is that the release of rumors and scandals pertains to the business side of K-Pop.

K-Pop is a major business investment in Korea and has evolved into one of the chief economic exports of the nation.

Stocks for entertainment companies are not only affected by rumors and scandals, the fluctuation on the Korean stock exchange can be large.

Scandals involving K-Pop idols can be disconcerting for Korean audiences, but is more alarming to international audiences.

International fans often have more difficulty recognizing which Korean news outlets are tabloids and which are legitimate news sources.

As the line continues to blur, it has become more difficult for readers who are outside of Korea to distinguish rumors from fact.

From the perspective of journalistic integrity, it is important to pass on the facts to fans, while maintaining respect for the artists.