Internet broadcaster Cheolgu [Screen capture from Soup broadcast]
Internet broadcaster Cheolgu [Screen capture from Soup broadcast]

Popular internet broadcaster Cheolgu, 36, whose real name is Lee Ye-jun, has been sued by acquaintances after allegedly borrowing 6 billion won ($4.2 million) and failing to repay it.

According to police Tuesday, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency recently launched an investigation into Cheolgu on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

The complainants are The K Entertainment — known as "The K" — represented by internet broadcaster Jjabgu, whose real name is Jeong Geon-u, and Kay, whose real name is Park Jung-gyu. The two are said to have lent Cheolgu 3.7 billion won and 2.295 billion won, respectively.

They claim Cheolgu borrowed the large sums despite having no ability to repay them.

The complainants say they lent him the money for purposes such as paying taxes and settling broadcast revenue from Excel, but allege it may have actually been used for gambling or to cover other debts.

However, Cheolgu has previously stated that the amounts he borrowed were 2 billion won and 2.3 billion won — figures that differ from the complainants' claims. Some interpret the discrepancy as Cheolgu having subtracted amounts he says he already repaid.

After allegations against him surfaced, Cheolgu admitted on his broadcast Tuesday that he had gambled overseas and said he intended to turn himself in to authorities. During the broadcast, he said he had traveled to the Philippines for gambling starting two years prior and spent more than 1 billion won on gambling in a single week. He also disclosed that he was assessed roughly 6 billion won in value-added tax in November 2025 and that his bank accounts had been seized.

He further said he had used illegal private loans through a viewer working in the loan shark business, at a weekly interest rate of 10 percent — far exceeding the legal annual cap of 20 percent.


paq@heraldcorp.com