Three members of an illegal gambling ring in South Korea sentenced to prison

• A criminal group in South Korea, tied to the development of illegal gambling websites in collaboration with North Korean hackers, was taken down
• The ringleader of the group was sentenced to five years in prison in September
• Three members of the group received prison sentences this week

Members of a criminal network involved in illegal gambling in South Korea, who collaborated with hackers from North Korea, were sentenced to prison.

Selling more than a dozen gambling websites, the group earned $17.6m

As announced by the local media outlet, Korea JoongAng Daily, three members of a criminal syndicate received prison sentences Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court.

The group had been involved in the development of illegal gambling websites and collaborated with hackers from North Korea, the authorities said.

The mastermind of the organization, a person identified only by the surname Kim, faced charges for breaching the National Security Act and operating illegal gambling websites.

According to the prosecution, Kim played a central role in the development of 16 illegal gambling websites together with North Korean hackers.

Those websites were created between 2022 and 2024, and the mastermind of the criminal group earned approximately 23.5bn Korean won, or approximately $17.6m.

Of those earnings, the ringleader transferred 7bn Korean won, which is $5.2m, or 30% of the total, to the North Korean hackers that helped with the development of the websites.

Ringleader and three members receive prison sentences

Kim was sentenced to five years in prison back in September.

Besides time behind bars, the ringleader received a five-year suspension of qualifications, a punishment that temporarily strips a person from various legal rights, professional licenses and public statuses.

The three members of the criminal syndicate faced the same charges as the mastermind for their involvement in the distribution of illegal gambling websites.

One of the members was sentenced to four years in prison, together with a four-year suspension of qualifications, while another one was handed a three-year prison sentence along with a three-year suspension of qualifications.

The third member of the gambling ring was also sent to prison for three years.

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