South Korea, October 19, 2026. The South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency dismantled a transnational illegal gambling network that handled ₩23 trillion (US$17.3 billion) between March 2023 and July 2026 through 188 unauthorized gambling platforms operated from South Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
The investigation resulted in 77 individuals being apprehended, including 21 placed in pretrial detention, and uncovered an estimated ₩150 billion (US$113 million) in illicit profits, along with ₩9.6 billion (US$7.2 million) in frozen assets. Kim Tae-woo, head of cybercrime investigations in Chungnam, presented the operation under the interim provincial leadership of Lee Seo-young. The network included 25 technology suppliers and developers, 33 gambling platform operators, and 19 gamblers under investigation.
Kim Jong-cheol
The organization marketed platforms capable of launching online casinos in just ten minutes, using international live casino streaming providers, software developers, and virtual credit distributors. Intermediaries purchased packages of 100 million credits for between ₩5.5 million and ₩7 million, reselling them for up to ₩8 million, while charging monthly maintenance fees ranging from ₩1.5 million to ₩3 million per platform.
Hong Seok-ki
The investigation, launched following a police intervention in November 2025, examined 795 bank accounts, identified 408 blocked web addresses, and prompted Interpol Red Notices for twelve suspects wanted internationally. Those involved face investigations under Articles 114 and 247 of South Korea's Criminal Act, concerning criminal organizations and the operation of gambling establishments for profit. The operation is being conducted under the national coordination of the police, led on an interim basis by Kim Jong-cheol, and its National Office of Investigation, headed by Hong Seok-ki.
Tax authorities and the communications oversight system, chaired by Ko Gwang-heon, are also involved in tracing financial transactions and restricting access to illegal platforms. Authorities are investigating potential tax offenses, cryptocurrency transactions, and third-party bank accounts, while the search for the twelve fugitives and asset recovery proceedings continue.
