The rumor of gang ties surrounding comedian Cho Sae-ho shows no sign of dying down. The original whistleblower, a person surnamed A, again made strong accusations, fanning the controversy.
In an interview with a media outlet on the 9th, the person surnamed A said, "He's just an idiot. I gave him a chance, but he didn't take it," regarding a comeback.
The person surnamed A explained that the relationship between Cho Sae-ho and the person surnamed B "grew close through the boss of an illegal gambling site." The person surnamed B is said to be one of the Korean organizers of illegal money laundering, and allegedly became acquainted with Cho Sae-ho at drinking gatherings.
The person surnamed A said, "The person surnamed B's illegal money laundering was carried out through a fake brand," and it was reported that Cho Sae-ho wore accessories from that brand on multiple occasions.
The person surnamed A also claimed that Cho Sae-ho knew the reality of the brand, the identity of the person surnamed B and the illegal money laundering, and released additional photos that suggested a close relationship with the brand's representative.
The person surnamed A was the first to raise the "gang ties" allegation against Cho Sae-ho. He has claimed that Cho Sae-ho is close friends with Choi, who is known as a key figure of the largest organization in the Geochang area. The person surnamed A alleges that Choi operated an illegal online gambling site and was involved in crimes such as money laundering, and that Cho Sae-ho promoted Choi's franchise restaurant and received expensive gifts afterward.
Photos of Cho Sae-ho and Choi taken together were released, enlarging the fallout. In response, Cho Sae-ho drew a line, saying, "He is just an acquaintance I met at a local event and has nothing to do with organized crime," and he strongly denied the allegation of receiving gifts in exchange, calling it "groundless." Nevertheless, the person surnamed A raised tensions by hinting at additional revelations suggesting that Cho Sae-ho's wife was also close to Choi.
As the controversy spread, Cho Sae-ho voluntarily stepped down from the program he was appearing on and announced a halt to activities, and said he would take legal action over false claims. But when news of Cho Sae-ho's return surfaced recently, the person surnamed A raised their voice again.
The person surnamed A said, "Isn't he returning because he disappeared abroad to make investigations difficult?" and added, "If so, I will also release a video of the Cho couple at a gang member's house," amplifying the fallout. In fact, on the 8th the person surnamed A continued the exposure by releasing photos showing Cho Sae-ho having drinks with acquaintances.
The person surnamed A reiterated, "As a public figure, Cho Sae-ho lives on the public's trust," and said, "He has a responsibility to manage relationships that could cause misunderstandings. He has been colluding with gang members for decades." He added, "I want to ask whether it is sensible to be close to a person who accompanies foreign cars worth hundreds of millions of won and watches, with escorts, and to be entertained at high-end drinking gatherings with hospitality ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of won."
He also emphasized, "If there really was no problem, why would he have left all broadcasts?" and said, "I do not view as coincidence the timing that the person who said they would sue me fled abroad and the timing of the broadcast comeback." Finally, the person surnamed A said firmly, "Even if I face criticism, I have no intention of stopping the revelations."
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]