South Korean Prosecutors Demand 3-Year Prison Sentence for ’Crypto-Embezzling’ Star Hwang Jung-eum

Another celebrity learns the hard way that blockchain leaves permanent records—even for A-listers.

The Case They Built

Prosecutors aren't buying the actress's story. They've laid out a damning trail of digital evidence, pushing for a three-year stint behind bars. It seems her on-screen drama skills didn't quite translate to off-screen financial maneuvering.

A Pattern, Not an Accident

This wasn't some one-time oopsie. The charges suggest a calculated move, a deliberate dip into funds that weren't hers. It’s the oldest story in finance—just with a new, digital veneer. Some things never change, even if the wallet type does.

Why This Sentence Matters

A three-year demand sends a clear signal: the old rules still apply. Your public profile might get you a better table at a restaurant, but it won't save you from a ledger that never forgets. The law is catching up to the tech, and it's not messing around.

Just another reminder that in crypto, the most volatile asset isn't the token—it's human integrity. Maybe she should have just HODL'd her own salary instead.

Hwang Jung-eum: Crypto Charges

Prosecutors claim that the star also took out an 800 million won ($571,866) loan in July 2022 under the same company’s name.

They told a branch of the Jeju District Court that Hwang then sent most of these funds to her personal bank account, and then used this money to buy crypto.

Prosecutors presented evidence that she made over a dozen similar transactions in 2022, repeatedly using company money to buy coins.

They also accused Hwang of using company funds to pay her bills, including property levies and local taxes.

Her defence team asked the court for leniency, claiming that she had since sold her assets to pay the company back.

The court is set to reconvene in late September for sentencing.

Hwang shot to fame in the late 2000s when she appeared in the hit MBC sitcom High Kick Through The Roof.

She has also appeared in more recent hit dramas, such as Kill Me, Heal Me (2015) and The Escape of the Seven (2023–2024).

Actor Hwang Jung-eum admitted to taking 4.3 billion won ($3 million) in company funds from her family-owned agency, a majority of which she invested in cryptocurrency, while testifying in a trial on Thursday, News1 reported.https://t.co/4SA66LKBeh

Defence Team Asks for Court’s Clemency

The South Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh reported that Hwang’s legal team told the court that she had sold real estate holdings to help her repay her debts.

The team submitted legal documents to the court to help prove the veracity of these claims.

Hwang also claimed that she had made crypto purchases “with the encouragement of people around me in hopes of growing the company.”

Actress Hwang Jung-eum on trial for embezzling $31 million for crypto investmenthttps://t.co/FssMALivqB

She admitted that she had shown “poor judgment” in the matter. Hwang apologized and said she had had “reflected” on her actions.”

Hwang’s defense team also asked the court to consider the fact that the company is question was a one-person agency. A lawyer told the court:

“The defendant created the company to manage her own entertainment industry activities. She owns 100% of the shares, and no other entertainers are affiliated with it.”

The lawyer added that Hwang had shown “immaturity.” But the attorney said the actress was “deeply reflecting” on the nature of her wrongdoings.