Popular South Korean Comedian Lee Jin Ho has come forward with a confession about his involvement in illegal gambling and the financial troubles that followed. On October 14, he shared a long message which read, “Hello, I am Lee Jin Ho. I want to open up about a shameful chapter of my life, a result of my poor decisions. In 2020, I began participating in illegal online gambling, which led to a huge amount of debt. After receiving tough advice from friends and realising that my career was at risk, I finally understood the severity of the situation and was able to stop gambling.”

Lee Jin Ho said that, however, by that time he had already borrowed money from many people. “I am now repaying the debt every month and intend to pay it off completely. While the financial loss is significant, my biggest regret is disappointing those who trusted me enough to lend me money. Every time an unknown number would call, my heart would race with the fear it was about my debt. Living with the constant anxiety of when this might become public was extremely difficult,” he added.

The comedian also mentioned that he thought about confessing everything and facing the consequences to free himself from this burden. “But because I needed to keep working to repay my debt, I wondered if that thought was just my own selfishness holding me back from making a decision. I am deeply ashamed and sorry. I truly regret losing sight of my responsibilities as a public figure and tarnishing my image with a bad decision. Even if I cannot be a role model, I will work hard to avoid being someone who is criticised,” Lee Jin Ho said.

He vowed to repay the remaining debtt. “I sincerely apologise to everyone I let down by causing this social controversy and trying to keep it hidden. I will fully cooperate with the police investigation and accept the consequences of my actions. I am truly sorry,” the comedian concluded.

According to Koreaboo, the popular comedian has also scammed some big celebrities, and BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed that BTS’ Jimin was one of his victims.

After the confession, a source from JTBC commented on Lee Jin Ho’s participation in Knowing Bros (Ask Us Anything). The production team is reviewing the situation and a more detailed statement regarding his involvement will be released once everything is sorted out, reports Soompi.

Lee Jin Ho was also supposed to attend the press event for Netflix’s upcoming variety show Comedy Revenge, but he has since reportedly pulled out of the appearance.