'Rhyme Core' Kim Young-hong's Close Associate Sentenced to 2 Years for Gambling Venue Establishment Crime

Court: "Guilty of Operating Overseas Remote Gambling Site Using Avatar"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Jeong Mo, known as an associate of Kim Young-hong, chairman of Metropolitan and a key figure in the Lime Asset Management (Lime) scandal, was sentenced to 2 years in prison in the first trial.

On the 11th, Judge Choi Seon-sang of the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 10 held a sentencing hearing for Jeong Mo (52), who was detained and indicted on charges of opening a gambling space, and delivered the sentence.

The court stated, "The defendant conspired with Kim Young-hong and others to open an overseas remote gambling space using avatars, promoting gambling addiction and degrading a sound work ethic, which requires strict punishment," adding, "The defendant's level of involvement is not light, and the scale of the crime is large. However, it appears he was only responsible for practical work under Kim Young-hong's instructions," explaining the sentencing rationale.

The defendant conspired with Kim Young-hong and others to open an overseas remote gambling space, promoting gambling addiction and degrading a sound work ethic. Strict punishment is necessary. Since remote gambling allows many Koreans to gamble without traveling abroad, the defendant's involvement is significant and the scale of the crime is considerable.

Jeong, the general manager of a local casino in the Philippines, was detained and indicted on charges of conspiring with Chairman Kim to broadcast gambling in real-time over the internet and opening an overseas remote gambling space, illegally obtaining more than 32 billion KRW from an unspecified number of people.

Investigations revealed that Jeong enabled remote gambling by providing users with access IDs and passwords and informing them of the fund transfer accounts. After being arrested in the Philippines at the end of 2021, Jeong was held in a local foreign detention center, repatriated last January, and detained following prosecution investigation.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 11th, the prosecution requested the court to sentence Jeong to 3 years in prison, stating that most of the charges against him were proven. Additionally, they requested a fine of 300 million KRW as confiscation of profits earned from operating the gambling site.

Meanwhile, Chairman Kim, known as the mastermind behind the Lime scandal, is accused of embezzling about 200 billion KRW of Lime investment funds but fled overseas and is currently missing.