Bribe Suspect Gambles Away 5.6 Billion

It was confirmed yesterday that Yoon Sang-lim has lost 5.6 billion won gambling at the Kangwon Land casino since early 2001.

While investigating Yoon’s lobbying scandal, the prosecution looked into Yoon’s gambling record at Kangwon Land to confirm this.

It can be said that Yoon has lost 160 million won on average at the casino each month.

According to a prosecutor, Yoon spent about 10 days at the casino per month. His primary purpose was to launder money there, but he seems to have gambled along the way.

Investigators confirmed that Yoon converted a total of 25 billion won worth of checks into chips at the casino but, taking into account overlapping calculations, estimates Yoon’s spending to be 15.3 billion won (8.3 billion in check and 7.0 billion in cash).

Suspecting Yoon to have laundered 9.7 billion won at the casino after losing 5.6 billion won, the prosecution is investigating the whereabouts of that money.

Prosecutors have found about five to six borrowed-name bank accounts Yoon opened under the names of his relatives, and are looking for possible links between those accounts and the laundered money.

Suspecting Yoon to have put the money in those accounts to use it to bribe government officials and politicians, they are searching through the receipts and payments of the accounts for evidence.

In addition, the prosecution is investigating Yoon’s receipt of 50 million won from a businessman by threatening to provide information to law enforcement authorities about the company’s bribery allegations.

Tae-Hoon Lee Jin-Kyun Kil jefflee@donga.com leon@donga.com