K-drama star Han So Hee's mother arrested for running illegal gambling dens, adding to Ms Shin's previous offences

My Name actress Han So Hee's mother has reportedly been arrested for operating illegal gambling dens, South Korean media outlet TV Chosun stated on September 2.

Identified as Ms Shin, the 50-year-old woman already has a sour relationship with her daughter due to her involvement in several fraud cases. Adding to the pile of her messy identity, Han So Hee's mother was taken into custody on Monday, marking her second arrest, for her alleged involvement with 12 illegal gambling establishments in the South Korean cities of Ulsan, Wonju and more since 2021.

The accused woman reportedly used “proxy owners” to run these places, where patrons would play games like baccarat by accessing a gambling website run by her.

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Han So Hee and her mother's troubled relationship: How Ms Shin took advantage of her daughter being a famous celebrity

Ms Shin's reputation infamously precedes her name for dragging her daughter's name into her past fraud worth tens of millions of wons. In March 2022, the Nevertheless star's agency, 9ato Entertainment, issued a statement claiming that Han So Hee had “no plans to take responsibility for her mother's debt.”

“[Han So Hee’s] mother Ms Shin used a bank account under Han So Hee’s name in the process of borrowing money. Ms. Shin arbitrarily opened the bank account when Han So Hee was a minor, and she used that account to borrow money without Han So Hee’s knowledge,” the agency said.

Explaining that similar cases had happened previously, including a “case involving the forgery of a private document,” 9ato Entertainment affirmed that a civil trial in connection with these cases “drew a clear line that Han So Hee had nothing to do with these cases.”

The statement also mentioned, "The Ulsan District Court’s final ruling on April 8, 2021, stated, “Money was borrowed using an account under Han So Hee’s name, but it is insufficient to acknowledge that Han So Hee is jointly responsible for the debt due to this, so there is no evidence to acknowledge [her involvement].”

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The Gyeongseong Creature actress' agency further stated that Ms Shin had been abusing the known fact about her daughter being a renowned celebrity to borrow money. “It is true that [Han So Hee] cannot cut the moral ties between mother and daughter. She feels apologetic for people who were harmed against her will. Despite this, we hope that incidents like these will not be repeated through this strong response. Please be understanding,” the officials added.

Han So Hee, who lived with her grandmother since she was five, has rarely been in touch with her mother since high school. Her agency's prior statement was a response to the beloved actress being dragged into her mother's mess as she dealt with a lawsuit for violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act. The K-drama star was on the verge of defamation because her mother used an account under her name to take out a loan of 40 million won.

Years ago, Han So Hee addressed the issue and clarified that she was no longer in contact with her mother, so she only learnt about her debts after turning 20.

She also claimed to have tried to pay off her mother's debt by working elsewhere before her debut in the acting industry. Only after debut did she finally learn that her mother had borrowed money using her name. Han So Hee also admitted in her apology that the whopping amount her mother owed to the victims was too large for her to bear alone.

In other news, Han So Hee is all set to reprise her role alongside Park Seo Joon in Netflix's hit Korean series' sequel, Gyeongseong Creature Season 2, on September 27. 

UPDATE (September 3): Responding to emerging reports about another one of Ms Shin's alleged criminal involvements, 9ato Entertainment released a new official statement on Tuesday. The agency again clarified that the woman's actions had nothing to do with Han So Hee, who had learnt of the development merely through the news. 

Han So Hee agency's statement reads: 

"The report from yesterday (September 2) concerns Han So Hee’s mother’s personal and independent actions. Han So Hee was devastated upon learning about it through the news.

We want to reiterate that this incident is entirely her mother’s independent actions and has nothing to do with the actress.

We apologise for delivering such uncomfortable news related to personal matters rather than her work."