"I Worked at a Side Dish Shop to Pay Off Debt"... 'Habitual Gambling' Controversy Sho Returns to Broadcasting After 4 Years

Sugar, formerly of the group S.E.S., attending the first trial held at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the morning of January 24, 2019 / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] Sugar, formerly of the group S.E.S, is set to return to broadcasting after 4 years following controversies over habitual gambling.

According to multiple media reports on the 23rd, Sugar is currently filming the TV Chosun variety program 'Star Documentary My Way.' The broadcast date has not yet been decided.

This program is a documentary series that conveys the lives of entertainers, and it is expected to cover the hardships Sugar has endured.

Previously, Sugar was indicted on charges of habitual overseas gambling involving hundreds of millions of won in Macau and other locations from August 2016 to May 2018. Ultimately, in February 2019, he was sentenced to 6 months in prison with a 2-year probation. Additionally, he lost a civil lawsuit filed by a creditor who lent him gambling funds but was not repaid.

In January, Sugar personally posted a handwritten letter on his Instagram to apologize.

At that time, he stated, "In late 2018, I was lured by an acquaintance and started gambling for the first time. The scale gradually increased, and I became engrossed in gambling without realizing it." He confessed, "Because of this, I lost all my assets, including real estate I had accumulated over more than ten years as an entertainer, and ended up in debt, reaching a level of ruin."

He continued, "I even worked at a side dish store and tried selling clothes at Dongdaemun Market," adding, "I worked at an acquaintance's restaurant and did my best to repay my debts. I only wish to clear my debts as soon as possible and sincerely apologize to everyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.