The star of “Running Man,” Kim Jong-kook lost “billions of won” to investment frauds

KUALA LUMPUR: The popular South Korean entertainment series Running Man cast member Kim Jong-kook, who has been popular since 2010, revealed that he had lost “billions of won” to investment frauds. Approximately S$981,000 (RM3.4 million) is equivalent to one billion won.

As per the entertainment portal Starnews Korea, the 48-year-old celebrity discussed his encounters with con artists during the June 9 episode of My Little Old Boy (which airs from 2016 till now). In a segment, he was joined by singer Lee Sang-min and actor Choi Jin-hyuk.

Choi, 38, reported that numerous texts urging him to invest with different individuals and companies had been sent to him. 

He has also been approached to lend money by strangers. He questioned Kim and Lee about similar experiences. 

Kim surprised his buddies by admitting he had been duped.

People in his immediate vicinity had once asked him to invest and gave him financial advise. Kim later discovered it was a fraud and suffered billion-dollar losses from fraudulent investments. He omitted to say when he was conned and how much money he lost overall.

Although the loss affected him, he noted, he is now more cautious about pursuing quick money. “I discovered that hard work is the only way to make money,” he continued. – The Asia News Network/The Straits Times