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Comedian Lee Jin-ho to face possible indictment for illegal gambling

Published: 17 Apr. 2025, 18:59

Comedian Lee Jin-ho speaks to reporters at Seoul Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul on Oct. 22, 2024. [NEWS1]

Comedian Lee Jin-ho has been referred to the prosecution on charges of habitual illegal gambling, police announced on Thursday.

Police believe Lee spent hundreds of millions of won on illegal online gambling platforms and borrowed around 2.3 billion won ($1.6 million) from fellow celebrities and private lenders to fund his activities.

Among those Lee borrowed money from were high-profile celebrities such as BTS member Jimin, comedian Lee Su-geun and singer Ha Sung-woon, according to investigators.

Lee first admitted to his gambling in a public statement on his social media accounts on Oct. 14, 2024.

“In 2020, I happened to come across an illegal online gambling site and started playing,” he said. “It eventually led to a level of debt I could no longer manage.

"As a public figure, I deeply regret my poor decisions and the damage they’ve caused. No matter what, I intend to repay all outstanding debts.”

Following his admission, police received a petition filed through the government’s public complaints platform, urging a formal investigation into Lee’s activities. He later appeared at a police station for questioning and apologized again to fans for causing public concern.

Illegal gambling among celebrities is not new in Korea.

Television show host Kim Yong-man was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for betting tens of millions of won in 2013.

S.E.S. member Shoo received a similar sentence for overseas gambling charges involving roughly 800 million won in 2018. Other public figures, including Shin Jung-hwan and Kang Byung-kyu, have also faced scrutiny for repeated gambling offenses.

The illegal gambling market in Korea has expanded rapidly.

The size of the illegal market reached 102.7 trillion won in 2022, up from 82.8 trillion won in 2019 — a 24 percent increase over three years — according to the National Gambling Control Commission.

Reports to the commission’s illegal gambling tip line also quadrupled over the past decade, rising from about 11,000 in 2014 to nearly 48,000 in 2023.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE SU-MIN [[email protected]]