Singer-turned-TV personality Shin Jung-hwan on Friday received eight months of jail term for habitual gambling overseas.
A court said "the nature of his crime is not light" considering that Shin has a history of gambling and that he gambled away more than 200 million won at a hotel in the Philippines last September.
Gambling is strictly prohibited in South Korea and citizens are not allowed to gamble abroad either.
However, Shin hid from police for five months overseas after his problem came into light and got arrested upon his arrival at the airport in January this year.
He then started leading a career as an entertainer on several shows but stepped down from them after getting caught for gambling in 2003 and 2005.
He re-emerged onto his previous shows a few months later, regaining his popularity and becoming one of the most sought-out show hosts in the country.
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Reporter : Kim Myung-hyun
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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