Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Actor, comedian quit programs as K-pop scandal widens
Actor Cha Tae-hyun and comedian Kim Jun-ho announced Sunday they are leaving all their shows after a golf gambling allegation was reported on March 16. Korea Times file
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee, Park Si-soo
Has Pandora's Box opened?
Actor Cha Tae-hyun and comedian Kim Jun-ho have quit all programs they had been appearing in after police found clues in a KakaoTalk mobile chatroom that the two had gambled illegally over golf.
Police discovered the evidence while looking into the recorded chat history of K-pop singer Jung Joon-young's smartphone, which he voluntarily submitted to police last week in the face of a widening sex video scandal.
Cha and Kim have been regular cast members ― along with Jung ― of KBS TV's popular reality show “2 Days & 1 Night” for years. Police came across the clues of the golf gambling in a group chatroom open exclusively to the program's regular cast members.
Cha and Kim were the first entertainers hit by the fallout from the scandal. How far this scandal stretches is yet unknown as police investigation into Jung's smartphone continues.
In the reconstructed chatroom of singer Jung Joon-young, Cha, left, shares a picture of money he “won from golf betting” with Kim. Cha faces allegations of golf gambling with Korean variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” co-cast Kim Jun-ho. Screen capture from KBS News
According to reports, Cha proudly wrote on July 1, 2016: “I hit the jackpot” and “It happened only in two hours.” Considering the context of the dialogue, the “jackpot” referred to the actor's winning of a high-stakes bet in a game with Kim.
Jung replied: “OMG. Kim was running out of money.” Then Cha texted “If this is reported, I will be handcuffed.” Given the dialogue, people in the chatroom gambled knowing it was illegal.
Cha apologized to his fans in a statement on Sunday. He said he “feels ashamed to cause such speculation and will leave all the shows (he has appeared in) from this point on.”
Kim apologized too. “I have failed to set an example as the eldest member of the show and I deeply regret that. I will take full responsibility and quit all the shows,” said the comedian.
The pair admitted to golf gambling, but it doesn't necessary mean they will be punished.
The Gambling Act punishes those who gamble “habitually” with a “big” money bet ― one-off gambling for fun is not punishable.
Cha said on Sunday their golf gambling was “just for fun” and he had coughed up the money to Kim right after the game.