BIGHIT music has addressed BTS’s Jimin’s financial problems after he lent money to comedian Lee Jin Ho, who is dealing with gambling debts.
According to Ten Asia, BTS’s Jimin, Young Tak, Lee Soo Geun, and Wanna One’s Ha Sung Woon, as well as producers, writers, and executives from various television stations, gave money to Jin Ho with the promise of payback.
According to media reports, Jimin lent the comedian approximately KRW 100 million (P4.2 million) in 2022. Jin Ho pledged to reimburse the money within a week. When Jin Ho failed to repay the loan within a week as promised, Jimin gave him a 10-year grace period for payments, but the loan remained unpaid.
BIGHIT Music issued a brief statement on the matter, stating, “Jimin did suffer financial damage. He had only written a promissory note and lent money to Lee Jin Ho.
According to reports, some celebrities provided loans to the actor without any official agreements. These loans have been categorized as “gifts” by tax authorities, which may have tax ramifications for lenders.
Several people, however, have apparently filed fraud charges against Jin Ho and are attempting to recoup their appearance costs through legal means.
On October 14, comedian Jin Ho acknowledged having a gambling addiction that led to debt after seeking “financial help from many people,” including Jimin.
“In 2020, I started playing games on an illegal online gambling site by chance, and I ended up shouldering unbearable debts,” Jin Ho stated in his social media post.
He stated that he is “steadily repaying the money each month” and intends “to pay off this debt in full.”
Jin Ho stated he is “deeply embarrassed and sorry” and regrets his conduct.
“Every day felt like I was being punished, wondering when this would become public. I thought about confessing everything and facing the consequences to relieve the anxiety, but I hesitated because I needed to continue working to pay off my debts,” he informed.
“I deeply apologize to everyone who was disappointed by my actions and my attempts to hide them,” he addressed.
In light of his confession, Lee canceled his participation at Netflix’s “Comedy Revenge” press conference on Monday morning. He is now assessing his role on JTBC’s “Men on a Mission,” in which he is a regular cast member.