Former K-pop singer jailed for illegal gambling, investigation disruption

By Lee Han-soo

Jung Jin-woo

Former K-pop singer Jung Jin-woo has been jailed for illegal gambling and for trying to disrupt an investigation of his case.

Seoul Southern District Court sentenced the former member of K-pop boy band M2M to one year in jail for spending 3.4 billion won ($3 million) on an illegal gambling site and asking his divorced mother’s lover to cover up his actions.

Jung, 32, gambled the money on an illegal site from January to June 2011, according to court documents.

After becoming a target of investigation in 2014, he asked his mother’s lover to make a false confession.

“He was caught (for illegal gambling) in 2007 and received a verbal warning from the court. But he didn’t stop,” said the court in a ruling statement.

“The fact that he asked his mother’s lover to make a false confession to avoid prosecution makes a jail sentence unavoidable.”