BTS' Jimin, a victim of Lee Jin-ho's gambling scandal

Jimin is the next BTS member to get caught in a drink-driving issue, following Suga's recent run-in with the law. However, Jimin appears to be on the opposite end of the drama, as he is said to be a victim rather than a culprit in Lee Jin-ho's illegal gambling controversy. The first revelations of this scandal were brought by TenAsia on October 14.

Jimin is a member of the South Korean boyband BTS. In the group, he serves as the group’s singer, songwriter, and dancer.

Born on October 13, 1995, Jimin, also known as Park Ji-min, was born in Busan, South Korea.

Just like his fellow BTS member J-Hope, Jimin had started off his first steps in preparing for the entertainment industry with dance and was even considered a 'dance genius' in his early years living in Busan, reports Billboard.

According to The Korea Times, Jimin only considered a career in K-pop upon suggestion by his then-dance teacher, who suggested he audition to become a K-pop star. He did so for Big Hit Entertainment, passed the audition in 2012, and officially became a K-pop trainee.

Jimin, like the other members of BTS, debuted in the K-pop scene in 2013. Interestingly, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, Jimin was the only member of BTS who spent the least amount of time as a trainee prior to his debut, at only six months.

Image: Big Hit Music

Since reaching superstardom and great heights with BTS, Jimin has also carved out a solo path for himself and released several solo songs, some including the song ‘Promise’, and ‘Christmas Love’.

Other than being known for his K-pop artistry, Jimin had also once gone viral due to a totally different and unexpected reason: the British internet personality Oli London had gone through several plastic surgery procedures in order to look like the star, reports Insider.

Jimin is recognised for his significant philanthropic efforts and has established a reputation as a generous supporter of various charitable causes, primarily centred on education and the arts, according to the Maeil Broadcasting Network.

In October 2024, Jimin found himself in the headlines for a troubling reason, as he was implicated in the illegal gambling scandal involving South Korean comedian Lee Jin-ho, reports TenAsia.

Image: bbangggi1 / Instagram

According to Allkpop, fans spread the theory that Jimin’s generous and caring personality, which was the foundation of his extensive philanthropy, may have led to his exploitation.

According to a report by Soompi, Jimin was lied to by Lee Jin-ho and defrauded 100 million won. Under the guise of a monetary emergency and the guarantee of a signed promissory note in 2022, Lee Jin-ho had gotten the money from Jimin.

Image: j.m / Instagram

The report from Soompi further indicated that Lee Jin-ho did not meet the deadline for returning the money as specified in the promissory note. However, Jimin chose to show leniency towards him.

Image: bbangggi1 / Instagram

When Lee Jin-ho acknowledged in October that he borrowed the money for unlawful gambling, Jimin became aware that he had lent money to an untrustworthy person and suffered a huge financial loss as a result, reports Allkpop.

Image: bbangggi1 / Instagram

In the midst of this massive controversy, Channel News Asia stated that Lee Jin-ho had promised to refund all of the money he had accumulated and borrowed from his victims and that he is doing so "steadily every month". It's uncertain whether this has genuinely been realized for Jimin.

Image: j.m / Instagram

In an update on October 28 by Maeil Business News, police have gotten involved in Lee Jin-ho’s gambling scandal and his fraudulent borrowing of money. Perhaps this will help expedite the process of Jimin getting his money back.

Image: bbangggi1 / Instagram

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed and enjoy more content!