SEOUL: South Korean actress Han So-hee’s mother has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for operating multiple illegal gambling establishments, according to legal sources.
Judge Kim Do-hyung of the Chuncheon District Court’s Wonju branch sentenced her mother, only identified as A, 55, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension, along with 120 hours of community service, for charges related to the establishment of gambling venues.
A was prosecuted for establishing seven gambling venues for profit between late January 2022 and late August 2023.
At the time, Han’s agency issued a statement saying: “This case is entirely unrelated to the actress and stems from her mother’s personal actions. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this private matter.”
Prosecutors said that A connected with members of an illegal gambling site through Telegram, obtaining access and management codes to establish seven betting venues. She earned profits by collecting commissions based on total wagers and user losses.
Operating out of Wonju, A employed “front men” to manage adult PC game centres under profit-sharing deals or worked with existing operators to enable illegal online gambling, including baccarat.
Investigators found she ran five venues in Wonju and one each in Ulsan and Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang province.
The court pointed out that A continued to manage and operate gambling sites despite having been fined 5 million won (US$3,800) in 2023 for similar offences.
“Although the exact profits she gained are not clearly detailed in the records, the structure of the operations and profit-sharing arrangements indicate that the amount is likely substantial,” the court said.
A, who had been detained in September, was released immediately following the suspended sentence ruling.
Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison sentence and have appealed against the ruling, calling it “unduly lenient”. The appeals trial will proceed at the Chuncheon District Court. - Story from Korea Times via South China Morning Post
