From Laughter to Legal Trouble
Hey guys! So, some pretty shocking news has been developing in the Korean entertainment world involving a comedian many of us have seen on popular variety shows. I’m talking about Lee Jin-ho. He’s known for his hilarious skits and being a regular on shows like ‘Knowing Bros’. But recently, he’s been in the headlines for reasons that are no laughing matter—a massive illegal gambling scandal.
It all started in October 2024 when Lee Jin-ho himself posted a confession on his social media. He admitted that he started using illegal online gambling sites back in 2020 and that it led to him accumulating an unmanageable amount of debt. We’re not talking about a small sum here; reports say he borrowed over 2.3 billion won, which is roughly $1.6 million, to fund his gambling.
Borrowing from a BTS Member?
What made this story even more shocking were the names of the people he allegedly borrowed from. The list includes fellow comedian Lee Soo-geun and, get this, Jimin from BTS. Can you imagine? It really shows how serious his situation became. After his public confession, a petition was filed, and the police officially launched an investigation into his habitual gambling. As you can imagine, he stepped down from all his TV shows, and his career came to a screeching halt.
Why a Second Police Investigation?
After the initial investigation concluded in April 2025, the police forwarded his case to the prosecutor’s office without physical detention, which is a standard step here. Everyone thought the next stage would be a trial or a settlement. But, in a surprising turn of events just today, it’s been reported that the prosecution has sent the case *back* to the police, requesting a second supplementary investigation.
This basically means the prosecutors weren’t fully satisfied with the initial findings and want the police to dig deeper. It’s not super common and suggests the case might be more complex than it first appeared. This prolongs the legal process for him and adds a new layer of uncertainty to his future.
A String of Bad Decisions
Sadly, the gambling debt isn’t his only recent problem. In September 2025, he was also arrested for a DUI. He apparently drove about 100 kilometers (over 60 miles) while intoxicated, and was only caught because his girlfriend reported him. It just seems to be one bad situation after another. Illegal gambling is a huge deal in Korea, and we’ve seen other celebrities’ careers completely derailed by it. With this new request for further investigation, it looks like Lee Jin-ho’s troubles are far from over. We’ll have to wait and see what the police uncover this time around.
