In a recent court ruling, the mother of South Korean actress Han So Hee has been penalized for operating several illegal gambling venues.
Her mother, Ms. Shin, 55, was sentenced by the Wonju Branch of the Chuncheon District Court to a 1-year prison term, suspended for 2 years, plus 120 hours of community service.
She faced indictment for allegedly operating seven illegal gambling establishments for financial gain between late January 2022 and late August 2023.
Ms. Shin is accused of obtaining access codes and store manager codes from a member of an illegal gambling organization via Telegram. She used these codes to open seven gambling sites and profited from the ventures by collecting revenues and commissions.
In addition, Han So Hee’s mother established an adult PC game room in Wonju through a profit-sharing arrangement with a partner. She worked with the game room operator to have customers engage in online gambling, specifically baccarat.
Ms. Shin allegedly ran seven illegal gambling dens: five in Wonju, one in Ulsan, and one in Gyeongju. She had also been penalized for violating gaming laws in 2021 and received a 5 million won fine two years later.
The court noted that despite being fined 5 million won in 2023, Ms. Shin continued to manage and operate illegal gambling sites. She collaborated with multiple game room operators to open new locations.
The court added that while the exact profits were not specified in the records, considering the business structure and profit distribution, it’s likely that Ms. Shin’s earnings from the illegal activities were substantial.
Although the court acknowledged the severity of her offenses, it took into account her relatively clean record, aside from a single fine, and the time she spent in detention awaiting trial. As a result, the sentence was suspended. Ms. Shin, who was arrested in September, was released after three months. However, the prosecution has appealed the sentence, deeming it overly lenient, and the case will now proceed to a second trial
Previously, Han So Hee’s agency, 9Ato Entertainment, released a statement saying she is devastated by her mother’s arrest and apologizes for any discomfort caused. The agency emphasized that the incident was a personal matter unrelated to her work as an actress.
On the work front, Han So Hee was seen in the second season of “Gyeongseong Creature” and is now working on “Project Y”.
