Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

A man in his 20s has been fined for using a smartphone to gamble illegally hundreds of times while on active military duty.

Judge Ahn Gyeong-rok of the Daegu District Court's Criminal Division 5 fined the defendant, identified only as A, 3 million won ($2,250) on charges of gambling on illegal online sites hundreds of times during military service, according to Yonhap.

A was serving with the military police unit of the Naval Operations Command's Busan Base Defense Battalion when the offenses occurred. According to the indictment, A accessed illegal online gambling sites on 387 separate occasions between Nov. 30, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2026.

Investigators found that A used a personal smartphone inside the barracks to log on to illegal gambling sites, placing bets on sports results and playing baccarat, with total wagers amounting to 31.23 million won.

The court said it weighed aggravating factors — including that the offenses were committed during military service and that the cumulative amount wagered was substantial — against mitigating ones, noting that A had confessed and pledged not to reoffend.


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