"I Will Turn Myself In Tomorrow Morning"... BJ Chul-gu Admits to Illegal Gambling in the Philippines and Loan Shark Debts

Internet broadcaster Chul-gu (real name Lee Ye-jun, 36) has personally admitted to illegal overseas gambling and using illegal loan sharks during his broadcast, announcing his intention to turn himself in to the police.

During an internet broadcast on the 27th, Chul-gu stated that he has been engaging in overseas gambling in the Philippines since 2024.

He said, "While raising funds for gambling, I borrowed money from a major lender through illegal loan sharks, and the interest rate at the time reached about 10% per week. The situation spiraled out of control as I borrowed more money to pay off the interest on previous loans in a rolling debt cycle."

Tax issues also compounded the situation. Chul-gu stated, "About 6 billion won in value-added tax was levied, and when my bank accounts were seized, I borrowed additional money from multiple people to prevent this." He mentioned borrowing money from fellow internet broadcasters such as Kei, Jjap-gu, and In-ho, adding that he has already paid back partial amounts to some of them.

Chul-gu revealed that he had signed a contract with a listed company to receive 2 billion won, but the scheduled funds did not arrive on the 24th. He stated that he spent three days running around in all directions to secure alternative funds, but ultimately failed. He explained that this led to a situation where he could not pay the settlement amounts to the female streamers under his Excel agency.

During the broadcast, Chul-gu added, "I will turn myself in at the police station at 8:00 AM the next morning. I admit to illegal overseas gambling and using illegal loan sharks and will accept punishment. Even if I serve prison time, I will pay off my debts."

Chul-gu has been active since the early days of internet broadcasting in the 2000s, building significant recognition through active broadcasting on SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV). He has previously faced controversies multiple times for provocative and controversial broadcasting content, and this is not his first gambling-related controversy.

It was also reported that he had previously lost substantial amounts of money at Gangwon Land, and during his military service, he visited a casino in the Philippines, resulting in restricted vacation privileges rather than criminal punishment. After marrying a fellow internet broadcaster and starting a family, he divorced and is currently raising his underage daughter alone.

(Photo: Getty Images Korea / SBS Entertainment News Reporter Kang Kyung-윤)

※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.