The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday that it was looking into allegations that TV stars Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Joon-ho had bet on a game of golf.
The police agency’s special crime squad has already secured the related text messages and is currently establishing facts, it added.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s announcement came after Cha and Kim said earlier Sunday that they would step down from all shows.
Cha Tae-hyun (left) and Kim Joon-ho (right) (Herald DB)
In a letter released Sunday, Cha apologized to his fans and sought to clear the allegations against him. The actor admitted that he placed bets on his own golf games, but insisted that he returned his winnings right away. He added that he did not play golf overseas.
Kim Joon-ho, also from “2 Days & 1 Night,” too announced Sunday that he was stepping down from all broadcasts. He also claimed that he did not play golf overseas and that all winnings were returned on the spot.
The announcements were their first official response to news reports that the two placed bets on golf rounds.
A report on Saturday said that Cha posted comments and photos regarding winning money on a golf game with Kim on the “2 Days & 1 Night” group chat room. It said the record was found on the mobile phone belonging to another “2 Days & 1 Night” cast member, singer Jung Joon-young.
Jung, who is being investigated as a suspect in a case involving alleged distribution of illicitly filmed sex videos, has turned in his phone to police.
According to the report, Cha posted photos of cash in the group chat room, saying, “This is the money I won from betting on our golf game” on July 1, 2016. On July 19, Cha posted a photo of cash and said that he won 2.25 million won and that Kim won 2.6 million won. The report suggested that the two stars may have played golf in Thailand.
Meanwhile, with several of its cast members mired in controversy, “2 Days & 1 Night” producers announced Friday that the show would go off the air indefinitely.
By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)
