Shoo gets punished for gambling

Shoo, a member of once popular girl group S.E.S., received a suspended prison term on Monday for habitual gambling.

The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Yoo Soo-young, Shoo’s real name, to six months in prison, suspended for two years. The court also ordered her to perform 80 hours of community service.

The court ruled that her acts, although they may be seen as infractions by an individual, need to be held accountable given her reputation and the frequency and amount of money she gambled.

Shoo, 37, was charged with gambling on several occasions here and abroad, including in Macao, from August 2016 to May 2018. The total amount of money she gambled reached 790 million won ($702,000).

Prosecutors did not press charges regarding fraud accusations brought against Shoo by two people who she had gambled with. They accused her of not paying back some 600 million won that they lent to the former singer at a local casino.

“I was terribly ashamed of myself as I realized that I was changing from someone who (started gambling) just out of curiosity,” she told reporters after the court ruling. “I can finally get out of this swamp through punishment and criticism.”

The female trio S.E.S. ruled the K-pop scene from their debut in 1997 until they disbanded in 2002. In 2010, she married a basketball star and has three children.

Yonhap