"Regretting It Every Day"... Lee Jin-ho, Accused of Habitual Gambling and Drunk Driving, Receives Suspended Prison Sentence in First Trial

[Financial News] Comedian Lee Jin-ho, 39, received a suspended prison sentence in his first trial on charges of habitual gambling and drunk driving.
According to Yonhap News Agency, News 1 and others on the 1st, Judge Ahn Tae-yoon of the Single-Judge Criminal Division 1 at the Yeoju Branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced Lee, who had been indicted without detention on charges of habitual gambling and drunk driving, to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.
The court also ordered Lee to complete 120 hours of community service.
Lee was brought to trial on charges of repeatedly gambling by sending about 870 million won to gambling sites 664 times from May 11, 2023, to Oct. 14, 2024, exchanging the money for cyber currency and using it to gamble habitually.
The investigation reportedly began after a complaint was filed through e-People asking police to investigate Lee on gambling and fraud charges, after which the case was sent to the Prosecution Service.
Through social networking service (SNS), he admitted that he had engaged in illegal gambling on an internet site. It later emerged that he had received financial help from acquaintances and already had substantial debt.
Lee is also accused of driving under the influence for about 70 km from Incheon to Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 24, 2025, while he was under investigation for gambling. At the time, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.12 percent, which was reportedly high enough to result in license revocation.
The Prosecution Service had sought a two-year prison term for Lee at the sentencing hearing on the 14th of last month.
Lee's side admitted to all of the charges.
At the hearing, Lee said, "I have lived every day regretting what I did," and added, "I will never make the same mistake again."
The court explained its sentencing decision, saying, "We determined the sentence after taking into account that the defendant is reflecting on his actions."
[email protected] Kim Soo-yeon Reporter