Anti-vice activists are calling for stronger measures to protect vulnerable people from growing social threats after South Korean comedian Lee Jin-ho confessed to gambling debts. are.
Lee, a member of the popular TV show acquaintance’s brotherRecently, he stopped appearing in public due to debt problems.
Earlier this month, the 38-year-old wrote on Instagram how he “accidentally started playing on illegal online gambling sites in 2020 and ended up with debts he couldn’t repay.”
Lee did not mention the amount owed, but on Tuesday he was investigated by Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station on suspicion of compulsive gambling and fraud.
According to media reports, he borrowed about 2.3 billion won (approximately 170 million yen) to cover his losses and even sought help from celebrities like Jimin of K-pop idol BTS.
For South Koreans, gambling is largely prohibited, except at certain government-sanctioned facilities, such as the racetracks in Seoul and the only legal casino for citizens in Gangwon Province. There are 16 other foreigner-only casinos in the country.
