Former professional baseball player Yun Seong-hwan (44), who thrived as an ace with the Samsung Lions, is experiencing an endless downfall. Although he made over 10 billion won in accumulated earnings during his career, he was sentenced to prison for failing to repay 450 million won.

The Director General of the Daegu District Court, An Gyeong-rok, sentenced Yun Seong-hwan to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the 10th after he borrowed money from acquaintances and was indicted for mild fraud.

Yun Seong-hwan was brought to trial for borrowing a total of 450 million won from four acquaintances during a period from March 2020 for eight months while he had debts of 200 million won and tax arrears of 500 million won. The court stated, "There are circumstances indicating that he borrowed a large amount using his position and reputation, and a considerable portion was used for gambling." Furthermore, he was also indicted for receiving 450 million won through a proxy account in exchange for fixing a game during the professional baseball season in September of the same year, a violation of the law regulating and punishing the concealment of criminal proceeds.

Yun Seong-hwan has already served time once. He was imprisoned in June 2021 on charges of fixing games and illegal gambling, and in March 2022, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay 100 million won in fines. In September 2020, while still with Samsung, he was penalized with a prison sentence for receiving 500 million won in cash in exchange for promising to fix a game.

Less than three years after serving his sentence and being released, Yun Seong-hwan found himself behind bars again. This time, he squandered most of the borrowed money on gambling, revealing his ongoing struggle with severe gambling addiction.

Yun Seong-hwan, a pitcher from Busan High School and Dong-Eui University, was a leading right-handed starter in the KBO League. Selected by Samsung in the 1st round of the 2004 draft as the 8th pick overall, Yun began his career with a signing bonus of 160 million won, earning a total of 1.57 billion won in accumulated salary until he reached free agency. After finishing the 2014 season, he made headlines by signing a 4-year contract worth 8 billion won, which was the highest amount ever for a pitcher at that time.

After his second free agency following the 2018 season, he re-signed with Samsung for 1 billion won for one year, and in 2020, in his last year as a player, he received a salary of 400 million won. During his 17 years as a professional baseball player, he earned a total of 11.13 billion won, yet it's hard to believe that he was sentenced to prison for failing to repay 450 million won.

Yun Seong-hwan is known to have squandered most of his income on gambling. During his playing career, he faced significant setbacks due to gambling. He was removed from the roster alongside Im Chang-yong and Ahn Ji-man due to an overseas gambling scandal that emerged before the 2015 Korea Series, and he missed spring training the following year due to an investigation. Although he was not charged due to insufficient evidence and continued his career, rumors about Yun Seong-hwan's gambling addiction never ceased.

This was confirmed in 2020 through game-fixing, and it has since come to light that he could not repay the money borrowed for gambling. Yun Seong-hwan's reality, in which his baseball career has been completely ruined by gambling yet he still cannot quit, demonstrates the frightening reality of gambling addiction.

Yun Seong-hwan played a total of 425 games (305 starts, 1,915 innings) over 15 seasons in the KBO League, recording 135 wins, 106 losses, 1 save, 28 holds, and a 4.23 earned run average, with 1,357 strikeouts. Although he did not have a blazing fastball, he was steady with precise control, diverse breaking pitches including his signature curveball, and operational ability, achieving double-digit wins for 8 seasons. He also played a pivotal role in Samsung's four consecutive championships from 2011 to 2014, which is the highest win record in Samsung franchise history. While he was the first Samsung pitcher to be considered for a retired number, various incidents such as illegal gambling, tax arrears, and game-fixing led to his fall from grace, turning him into a 'taboo' in the baseball community.

During his playing career, Yun Seong-hwan was known as the epitome of 'self-management.' He maintained extraordinary restraint, avoiding alcohol, tobacco, instant noodles, and soda, becoming a model for younger players by maintaining excellent physical condition until his late 30s. Yet, despite his thorough self-management, he remains ensnared in gambling addiction.

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