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| Comedian Lee Jin-ho, who is under police investigation for habitual gambling and fraud, is facing the possibility of being charged with fraud under specific economic crime laws. /Photo=Kim Chang-hyun Reporter chmt@ |
, “There is a possibility that the police will apply fraud charges under specific economic crime laws to comedian Lee Jin-ho, who is being investigated for habitual gambling and fraud.”, “According to police on the 16th, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station received a petition to change Lee Jin-ho’s charges to fraud under specific economic crime laws.”, “The petitioner stated, ‘Lee Jin-ho is known to have borrowed more than 2 billion won from acquaintances, so it is judged that fraud charges under specific economic crime laws can be applied.’ The petitioner pointed out, ‘Especially, if it is true that he tricked victims and embezzled money, fraud will be established, and even if some of the money was repaid, the embezzled amount is all the money borrowed from the victims.'”,
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| /Photo=Kim Chang-hyun Reporter chmt@ |
, “It was revealed that Lee Jin-ho borrowed a total of 2 billion won until last year and used it for illegal gambling with fellow entertainers and broadcast writers. BTS member Jimin issued an IOU to Lee Jin-ho for 100 million won, while broadcaster Lee Su-geun and singer Heo Sung-woon each lent him tens of millions of won. It was reported that there are entertainers who are in a difficult situation as they lent Lee Jin-ho as much as 500 million won but have not received it back.”, “In response to this, lawyer Kim Sung-hoon explained in an interview with YTN Newsquare on the 15th, ‘Just because you cannot repay a debt does not immediately make it fraud. If there was no intention or ability to repay from the start and lending money under such circumstances would constitute fraudulent baiting.'” He further stated, “The scale of the gambling is significant. If there is a habitual pattern, the illegality becomes much bigger, and the punishment level becomes very high. If it is clear that money was borrowed without intention or ability to repay, fraud is likely, and if the amount of damage exceeds 500 million won, the possibility of being sentenced to actual imprisonment under the specific economic crime law is very high.”