Former professional baseball player Lim Chang-yong sentenced to prison for unpaid gambling debts

Former professional baseball player Lim Chang-yong (49) has been sentenced to prison in the first instance for borrowing and failing to repay gambling funds.

According to reports from the legal community on the 25th, the 11th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court sentenced Lim to 8 months in prison for charges of fraud.

Lim was brought to trial for borrowing approximately 80 million won from an acquaintance for gambling at a casino in Manila, Philippines, in December 2019 and failing to repay it.

During the trial process, Lim’s charges were revised to reflect that he borrowed a total of approximately 150 million won, of which 70 million won had been repaid.

The court explained its decision, stating, "The defendant has not fully recovered the victim's funds and has not received forgiveness. However, we considered that the victim lent the money knowing it would be used for gambling."

The court determined that there was no risk of Lim fleeing, so he was not taken into custody.

Lim Chang-yong’s side: "Difficult to accept the verdict… We will appeal"

Immediately following the trial, Lim expressed his disagreement with the verdict to reporters, stating, "I find it difficult to accept the ruling. I will appeal."

Lim’s attorney also argued, "The materials and claims submitted to the court were not reflected," and stated, "The victim claims to have lent money, but he does not even remember whether it was in Korean won or Philippine pesos."

Lim is known as one of the representative pitchers of South Korean professional baseball, beloved by many fans for his unique "snake fastball."

He began his professional career with the Haitai Tigers in 1995, went on to play for the Samsung Lions, and also had stints in Japan and the United States. After being released by the KIA Tigers at the end of the 2018 season, he announced his retirement in the spring of 2019.

Image source: Lim Chang-yong / News1