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| K-pop boy band SUPERNOVA's members Yunhak, left, and Sungje were booked in September over allegations of illegal gambling. Courtesy of Maroo Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
A member of K-pop boy band SUPERNOVA is being investigated on suspicion of making illegal bets on a website based in Korea, police said Wednesday.
The suspect is one of two SUPERNOVA members ― Yunhak, 36, and Sungje, 34. They have been under investigation over the past two months over illegal gambling overseas. Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency did not reveal which of the two is the target of their new investigation.
Police said they are looking into about 100 suspects, including the unnamed singer and other celebrities. The alleged gamblers are suspected of having other people at casinos act as their "avatars" to play games for them.
"We cannot reveal the details because the investigation is not over yet," a police officer was quoted as saying.
In September, the two SUPERNOVA members were booked on suspicion of playing baccarat ― a casino card game ― once or twice in the Philippines between 2016 and 2018, betting up to 50 million won ($45,000) each time. The two denied they visited the country to gamble, claiming they played the games "by accident" while traveling there.
SUPERNOVA debuted with the album "The Beautiful Stardust" in 2007. Yunhak was the first K-pop star reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 in April.
