Complaint alleges, “Kim Seung-woo took 22 million won in cash from a wallet” ... Police launch formal investigation

[Financial News] Actor Kim Seung-woo, 57, has been accused in a complaint of stealing 22 million won in cash from an acquaintance and is under police investigation. The complainant’s side says the money was never returned, while Kim’s side categorically denies the allegation, saying he took it as a joke at the time and has already repaid more than that amount.
According to police and legal sources on the 12th, Gangnam Police Station in Seoul has registered Kim as a suspect and is investigating him on suspicion of theft. Earlier, an acquaintance identified as A, who is currently serving time at Gwangju Prison for a financial crime, filed a complaint against Kim at the station in July.
A was an investor in the drama The Driver, directed by Kim. The two were reportedly close, having spent time together at drinking gatherings 70 to 80 times over five years after they began associating around 2019.
According to the complaint, A claimed that on October 29, 2021, while at a drinking gathering with the drama’s production staff and others at an entertainment bar in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, Kim secretly took a total of 22 million won in checks and cash from A’s wallet while A had briefly stepped away, leaving a bag behind. A reportedly testified that the money was discovered missing when it was time to pay after the gathering, and that employees at the bar told A, “We saw Kim taking money out.”
The sharp disagreement between the two sides centers on the nature of the money Kim sent to A’s side after the incident and whether the alleged loss was repaid.
A’s side countered that the 30 million won Kim sent on October 31, 2021, two days after the incident, was the agreed 10% return on an existing 300 million won investment. It also said that the 25 million won deposited in three installments into a company owned by A from 2023 through this year was simply repayment of a personal loan A had made, and that the 22 million won in alleged losses was never returned.
Kim’s legal representative, by contrast, explained, “It was a kind of prank between people who were like brothers, at a gathering where several people were present. He hid it and then returned it,” adding, “He apologized immediately after the incident and cleared up the misunderstanding, and repaid more than the amount he took.”
Kim’s side also said, “Even after A was imprisoned, we took special care of his family, providing 2 million won a month in living expenses in a spouse’s name,” adding, “We believe this is a lapse in A’s memory or a false claim, given the physical and mental distress he is experiencing in prison. We have submitted relevant transaction records and a written statement to the police.”
Based on the financial transaction records and statements submitted by both sides, police are investigating the precise facts, including whether there was an actual intent to appropriate the money unlawfully and the circumstances surrounding any repayment.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter