South Korean comedian Lee Jin Ho, known for appearing in the hit variety show ‘Knowing Bros’ has admitted to illegal gambling and scamming BTS’ Jimin. Following the revelation of Jin Ho’s gambling addiction, reports surfaced that he scammed several high-profile celebrities. Moreover, BigHit Music, BTS’ label announced that Lee Jin Ho also duped Jimin.  Now, ‘Knowing Bros’ has announced Lee Jin Ho’s exit from the show.

On October 14, Lee Jin Ho released a confessional statement on his official Instagram. He wrote, “I am writing to confess my shameful past, which resulted from my poor judgment. In 2020, I started playing games on an illegal online gambling site, leading to overwhelming debt. After receiving stern advice from friends and fearing I might lose the job I love, I finally realized the seriousness of the situation and was able to quit gambling. However, by that time, I had already sought financial help from many people.”

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He added, “I am steadily repaying the money each month and plan to pay off this debt in full. While the financial loss is significant, I feel the deepest regret for those who trusted me and lent me money…I thought that confessing everything and facing the consequences might free me from this anxiety. However, since I needed to work to repay my debt, I questioned whether that thought was simply my own greed, which prevented me from making a decision. I am deeply embarrassed and sorry.” In conclusion, he added that he would fully cooperate with the police investigation.

Reportedly, Jimin had lent Lee Jin Ho approximately 100 million KRW back in 2022. However, the debt was never repaid. Subsequently, BigHit Music released a statement confirming the unfortunate situation, stating, “Jimin indeed suffered financial harm. He trusted Lee Jin Ho and lent him the money with just a promissory note.”

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Soon, social media users lashed out at the comedian for duping several celebrities over his gambling addiction. Following the escalation of the controversy, on October 14, ‘Knowing Bros’ announced Lee Jin Ho’s exit from the show. The JTBC comedy program announced, “Lee Jin Ho will be leaving the recording starting this week.” They also added that they would edit out his filmed content as much as possible before airing.