Broadcaster Cho Sae-ho's alleged involvement with organized crime has entered a new phase.
On the 22nd a video titled "I visited the mob company that was ruined by illegal money laundering" was released on the YouTube channel "Jangsa-ui sin."
In the footage, the reporter Eun Hyun-jang arrived at a Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew) restaurant located in Seolleung, Gangnam. Representative Kim Joo-ho, a 10-year comedian who was active on "Comedy Big League" and "Time Expedition" and an eight-year small business owner, met Eun Hyun-jang, and he said, "My relationship with Cho Sae-ho is not just a little friendly; we are university seniors and juniors and lived together for about eight years. He is close enough to know Nam Chang-hee, of course, and even Cho Sae-ho's family, maternal uncle and nephews. But because I was left out of the mob involvement case, I think suspicions have intensified."
Regarding mob member A, who was suspected of being connected to Cho Sae-ho, Kim Joo-ho said, "I know that person, but knowing someone is not necessarily wrong. As a comedian you meet people through events and such, introductions happen and relationships inevitably form, so I simply knew him; it doesn't mean we did things together or were particularly close. I haven't met him in the past five to six years, and I don't know in detail whether Cho Sae-ho is close to him."
Kim Joo-ho said, "Neither I nor my restaurant were at all involved in mob connections or illegal money laundering. The media says my business is a place that launders money, but I don't know how much a restaurant would have to earn to launder money. We don't generate that kind of revenue running the restaurant, nor do we have investors or people holding equity. If that were the case, I couldn't express my grievance like this or show my face and speak publicly," he said, raising his voice.
In particular, about the photos showing Cho Sae-ho with mob members, Kim Joo-ho said, "The starting point was a social media post claiming to carry out justice that included photos of Cho Sae-ho with mob members, and one of those photos was taken at my business. Because photos were posted with me missing, suspicions arose, and calling them mob members made the suspicion grow. Especially, a YouTube channel claimed to have exclusively obtained evidence and released a photo that was actually of Cho Sae-ho and a high school part-timer. That part-timer is the son of the owner of the Dangjin branch; he came to the store to learn work and said he wanted to experience an entrepreneurship expo. They raised suspicion asking why we would take such promotional photos with Cho Sae-ho. That young man is now having such a hard time that he is receiving psychiatric treatment," he said.
Kim Joo-ho added that regarding another restaurant B raised concerns about, "It is a restaurant operated by a company, and the allegation is that comedians such as Cho Sae-ho, Nam Chang-hee and Lee Jin-ho visited to show support and took photos. It has no connection to mobsters, and we did not receive contact from that YouTube channel during the process of raising questions."
Kim Joo-ho said, "We are operating the current restaurant with a key money of more than 300 million won, a deposit of 100 million won and a monthly rent of about 15 million won, and after the news came out sales plunged and we are running at a loss. Being labeled a mob restaurant has led to calls for boycotts and extreme stress over concerns that even my family might be misunderstood," and added, "I feel so sorry to Cho Sae-ho that I cannot even contact him now. If he had not taken photos at our restaurant to help me, I think he may have suspended his broadcasting activities out of a sense of responsibility because he has a weighty occupation."
Kim Joo-ho said, "They say our shopping mall is being used for the country's largest illegal money laundering, but the shopping mall often doesn't even sell 100,000 won in a month. What kind of illegal money laundering is 100,000 won or 200,000 won? Rather than legal action such as filing a complaint, I want confirmation that this is not true," he said, voicing his grievance.
Meanwhile, Cho Sae-ho was accused of promoting a franchise run by a member of an organized crime group after receiving expensive gifts, and of drinking with a key figure of the largest violent organization in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang. The allegations surfaced through social media accounts that receive tips about various criminal activities, and the spread of suspicion was fueled when photos of Cho Sae-ho with those figures were released.
In response, Cho Sae-ho's side said, "Cho Sae-ho and the person in question are merely acquaintances, and the claim that gifts were received is also groundless," but Cho Sae-ho said, "I would like to say that the allegations raised are not true at all. I will use this incident as an opportunity for deep reflection and try to return with a more mature image," and announced he would step down from all broadcasts he was appearing on and suspend his activities.
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