‘Valley murder’ case: Lee Eun-hae caught gambling with stamps in detention center; given 9 days in disciplinary confinement

[Financial News] It has been confirmed that Lee Eun-hae, who is serving a life sentence for the “Valley murder case,” was punished after being caught gambling with stamps at a detention center.
According to KBS on the 8th, Lee Eun-hae was given a nine-day solitary-confinement punishment last year for “gambling-related stamp trading.” Lee was reportedly caught gambling with stamps as stakes, using cards made from A4 paper at a detention center.
More than 1,000 inmates have been caught gambling with stamps as stakes at correctional facilities over the past four years. Inmates were found to have wagered registered-mail stamps worth 3,830 won each on various games, including gomoku, go, hwatu and predictions of sports results.
Stamps collected this way served as a de facto currency inside correctional facilities. Inmates would give stamps to other inmates in exchange for chores such as doing laundry or washing dishes.
Illegal transactions known as “stamp-cashing” were also found to be widespread. Inmates used “prisoner assistance companies,” which handle purchases, visits and other conveniences on their behalf, to cash in stamps after paying a commission equivalent to 30% of their value, with the proceeds deposited into their prison accounts.
As a result of these illicit transactions, stamp purchases at prisons nationwide increased by about 5 billion won over four years. As of last year, 980 inmates had bought stamps worth at least 1.5 million won annually.
Kim Ki-pyo, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said, “Stamps are being used as illegal funds inside correctional facilities, fostering further crimes and disrupting the hierarchy,” and pointed out, “Strict enforcement by correctional authorities and institutional improvements are urgently needed.”

[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter