This shocking news that has caused shockwaves across South Korea’s entertainment industry is mother of K-drama actress Han So Hee raided and arrested for running illegal gambling joints in major cities in the country. This act that occurred on September 2, 2024, has made illegal gambling problem to be on the limelight in South Korea again.
A 50-yerar-old-woman, who was only referred to as Ms Shin, has been arrested by police and alleged to have been operating 12 gambling houses in different cities in the country since last year, in Ulsan and Wonju respectively. This is her second arrest which has not only worsened her poor relationship with her daughter who has been staying away from her mother’s criminal activities[3].
Allegations told that the accused used a complex structure of ‘proxy owners’ in these businesses where people can play such games like baccarat through gambling Website under her operation. This mode of operation proved useful to Ms. Shin in that she was able to distance herself from the operations of the gambling dens, yet at the same time make her profits.[3]
This incident has again brought into the spotlight that illegal gambling is rife in South Korea even with the respective authorities stepping up efforts to curb the vice. The laws of the country in general frown on gambling, although there are certain exceptions in a country such as the lottery and some approved by the government gaming houses. It is the only casino legally available for the South Koreans, which was set up under the particular law in the 1990s in Kangwon Land Casino situated in Gangwon Province.
Ms. Shin’s arrest has also focused on the clinical life of Han So Hee who has also been involved in controversies about the behavior of her mother. In March 2022, Han So Hee agency Black Nine Entertainment, now known as 9ato Entertainment explained that her mother forged bank accounts opened in Han So Hee’s name during her childhood[3].
That is why the agency stressed that Han So Hee was unaware of such frauds and that legal proceedings showed her non-guilt. But these are exactly the actions that her mother committed, and such cases have persisted to plague the actress’s career despite her growing fame in the Korean entertainment circuit.[3]
This case therefore aptly illustrates the continued struggle Southern Korean authorities have had to through in dealing with the vice of unlawful gambling. It was in the recent past that the government came up with new measures to address what it termed pseudo-casino ventures in Thailand such as the hold ‘em pubs/poker bar. These guidelines promulgated by Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, National Police Agency and the National Gambling Control Commission seek to Reduce legal sensitivities in establishments that have been effectively offering gambling services[1].
The legal consequences for running an illicit gambling operation in South Korea are stiff, with a likelihood of being imprisoned for seven years or receiving a fine of 70 million South Korean won (which is equal to about $51, 000). Such measures suggest the readiness of the government to combat incidences of unlawful gambling and shield its people from unstable gambling services[1].
The arrest the mother of Han So Hee also brings us to completing picture on the effects of the various affiliates of the illegal gambling to the social life in South Korea. It gives rise to a number of queries concerning the present laws as well as to the potentiality of developing some elaborate methods to eradicate the grounds of unlawful gambling rigs. Some even believe that due to the overall conservative approach of the country’s authorities on legal gambling some illicit gambling rings may develop[2].
While South Korea struggles to deal with these problems, the government has been put in a quandary of effectively cracking down on this activity while at the same time dealing with the demand for these services. There are debates that the state needs to establish a more rigid and selective policy of legalizing gambling to stimulate the fight against the growth of the shadow sector while at the same time bringing revenues into the state’s budget. Nevertheless, such proposals continue to incite more debate because of the negative social impacts of gambling[4].
Due to the fact of Ms. Shin, who being related to a star option, the regulation of gambling policies South Korea has been back in the lime light. When continuing the legal actions against Han So Hee’s mother, such prospects will reasonably raise the debate around the current anti-gambling policies and possibly lead to the idea of policy changes, due to the persistence of the problem of illegal gambling in the country.
