South Korea jails three over North Korean-linked gambling websites

The sentences follow the conviction of the operation’s ringleader, who worked with North Korean hackers to develop and sell 16 gambling websites.

South Korea.- A South Korean court has sentenced three people to prison for distributing gambling websites developed by North Korean hackers to domestic gambling operators. The Seoul Central District Court’s 34th Criminal Division sentenced the lead defendant to four years in prison and four years’ suspension of qualifications on November 12. A second defendant received three years in prison and three years’ suspension of qualifications, while the third was sentenced to three years in prison.

The defendants were identified as accomplices of a man surnamed Kim, who received a five-year prison sentence and five years’ suspension of qualifications in September 2026. Kim was convicted of working with North Korean hackers based in China between 2022 and 2024 to develop 16 illegal gambling websites operating across 71 domains and sell them to gambling operators in South Korea.

According to the investigation, the three defendants joined the distribution operation at Kim’s request. They promoted the gambling software through X and Telegram, advertising development and related services to prospective operators. Two of them, including Kim’s younger brother, were also found to have known that the websites were developed by North Korean hackers.

Kim’s operation reportedly generated an estimated KRW23.5bn (US$17.6m), of which more than KRW7bn (US$5.23m), or about 30 per cent of the proceeds, was transferred to the North Korean hackers. The services provided included gambling software development, website maintenance, technical support and security management.

The court rejected Kim’s younger brother’s argument that he had been unaware of the developers’ identities. It cited the use of North Korean terminology in Telegram conversations as evidence that he knew they were North Korean hackers. The court also considered the defendants’ relationships with Kim and their roles in distributing the gambling websites.

The judges said the operation had posed a serious threat to South Korea’s national security and constitutional order, while the illegal gambling activities had caused wider social harm. They also considered the defendants’ admissions of some of the offences when determining their sentences.