The mother of Korean actress Han So Hee, known as Ms. Shin, has been sentenced in connection with her involvement in illegal gambling operations, according to Korean media.
Judge Kim Do-hyung of the Chuncheon District Court's Wonju Branch handed down a one-year prison sentence with a two-year suspension and 120 hours of community service to Shin. The 55-year-old was found guilty of organizing seven gambling venues from January 2022 to August 2023.
Investigations revealed that Shin collaborated with individuals tied to an illegal gambling site through the Telegram app. She managed seven betting locations by creating access codes and earning a percentage of the profits from bets and user losses. Her operations extended across several cities, including Wonju, Ulsan, and Gyeongju, using adult PC game centers as fronts.
Despite being fined 5 million KRW (approximately PHP 196,000) in 2023 for similar offenses, Shin persisted in her illegal activities. She was detained in September 2023 but was released immediately after the court suspended her sentence.
The court noted that while the exact profits Shin earned remain unclear, the structured operations suggest substantial financial gains.
This is not the first time Shin's legal issues have come to light. In July 2020, Han So Hee addressed her mother's unpaid debts, which had involved the use of the actress’s name without her consent. She wrote about the emotional and financial toll it took, revealing that she had severed contact with her mother.
Han So Hee, known for her roles in “Nevertheless,” “Gyeongseong Creature,” and "The World of the Married,” continues to distance herself from her mother's actions while focusing on her career.