South Korean comedian Lee Jin Ho has been referred to prosecutors on charges of illegal gambling.
On Thursday, his agency, SM C&C, confirmed that Lee was recently turned over to prosecutors for allegedly participating in illegal gambling.
According to police investigations, Lee reportedly spent hundreds of millions of won on illegal online gambling. He is also suspected of borrowing around 2.3 billion won (approximately $ 1.61 million) from fellow entertainers, including BTS member Jimin, and loan companies.
Back in October 2024, Lee publicly confessed to his illegal gambling problem and the resulting debt.
At the time, he said, “In 2020, I began playing games on an illegal online gambling site by chance and ended up accumulating an unmanageable amount of debt,” expressing his struggle with gambling addiction.
Lee explained that although he quit gambling due to warnings from friends and the fear of losing his entertainment career, he had already received significant financial help from many people.
He stated, “I have been steadily repaying the debt each month and intend to pay off the entire amount myself, even if it takes the rest of my life.”
He added, “I sincerely apologize to everyone disappointed by my actions and the fact that I tried to cover them up. I will cooperate fully with the police investigation and accept the consequences of my wrongdoing.”
Lee Jin Ho debuted in 2005 as part of SBS’s 7th class of specially recruited comedians and gained popularity through the comedy sketch Woong’s Dad.
Since then, he has been active in tvN’s Comedy Big League, appearing in popular segments such as Game of Princes, 2028 Gung Ye, Family Entertainment Center, Gangster PD: Kwak Cheol Yong, and The Boss Has Gone Mad.
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