Comedian Lee Jin-ho receives suspended sentence for gambling and drunk driving

South Korean comedian Lee Jin-ho has received a suspended prison sentence for habitual illegal gambling and drunk driving. On September 1, the Suwon District Court Yeoju Branch sentenced the 39-year-old to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years.

Investigators found that between May 2023 and October 2024, Lee engaged in 664 instances of illegal gambling via online sites, with total stakes amounting to approximately 870 million won. Additionally, Lee was charged with driving under the influence in September 2023, traveling 70 kilometers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12%, which is at the level for license revocation.

The court noted that the sentence took into account the defendant's expression of remorse. Lee, who appeared in court using crutches following a brain hemorrhage in April, stated in his final remarks that he has lived with regret and vowed never to commit a crime again.