Korean Star Lee Jin Ho Admits to Scamming BTS Member to Fund Gambling Addiction

• Gambling News
• 15 October 2024

On Monday, South Korean comedian Lee Jin Ho stunned the K-pop community by revealing on social media that he is being investigated by law enforcement for illegal online gambling and that he supported his gambling addiction by deceiving his celebrity friends. 

In an Instagram post, Lee informed his 133K followers and fans that he started gambling in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While in lockdown, the comedian mentioned that he found an online gambling site that enticed him to sign up and participate. Internet gambling at casinos is prohibited in South Korea. Lee admitted that his behavior became reckless, and he started accumulating debts he couldn't settle. 

He reached out to his nearest friends, several of whom were famous, for financial help. Park Ji Min, commonly referred to as Jimin, a member of the worldwide K-pop group BTS, lent Lee 100 million KRW (US$73,300) in 2022. This week, Jimin’s management company, Big Hit Music, announced that the loan has not been repaid at all. 

“Jimin indeed suffered financial harm. He trusted Lee Jin Ho and lent him the money with a promissory note,” the statement read.

“Scammers don’t spare even celebrities,” the Big Hit release continued. He didn’t repay despite the written agreement. This is unacceptable.”

Unmanageable Debt 

Media sources from South Korea indicate that Jimin wasn’t the sole celebrity deceived by Lee Jin Ho. Both Yonhap News and Ten Asia reported that other victims of Lee include singer Young Tak and comedian Lee Su Geun. It is reported that they lent Lee “hundreds of millions of won.” 

In a post on social media, Lee promised to restore his victims' losses. 

“I came across an illegal gambling website in 2020 and it ended up causing me severe financial hardship,” Lee wrote. “I was able to quit gambling thanks to advice from my acquaintances and the realization that I might have to give up the career I love.”

"I’ve been diligently repaying my debts every month and plan to continue doing so until the day I die,” Lee continued. “The financial loss is painful, but what hurts more is betraying those who lent me money. I will also cooperate fully with any police investigations and accept the consequences of my actions.”

It is likely that repaying his debts is becoming more difficult, as Lee’s admission of his gambling issue has already resulted in job losses. 

Following the announcement, Netflix revealed that Lee would be removed from “Knowing Bros.” by editing out “as much of his previously filmed content as possible” from the streaming platform. The variety series/talk show ranks among the most viewed programs on Netflix in South Korea, having aired since 2015 and featuring over 400 episodes. 

Lee has been part of the main cast for the past 100 episodes. He’s dubbed “WikiJinho” on the show due to his seemingly boundless knowledge on various subjects. 

Korean Gaming 

The sole location where citizens and residents of South Korea can legally gamble, aside from the government-operated lottery, is Kangwon Land, situated approximately 100 air miles east of Seoul. The other casinos in Korea are exclusively for foreigners. 

The South Korean government likewise bans online gambling for residents and non-residents alike. The government has recently increased punishments for individuals operating illegal gambling ventures to a maximum of seven years in prison and a fine of 70 million won. 

Individuals engaged in unlawful gambling, whether it be online or in-person, could incur penalties of as much as 20 million won. Repeat offenders can be sentenced to as much as three years in prison.