Last month, a shocking incident occurred in which Lee, the CEO of Haru Invest, was stabbed during a court appearance. Lee was facing trial on charges of cryptocurrency fraud amounting to around 1 trillion won, when a victim, Mr. Kang in his 50s, who had reportedly lost 8 billion won, attacked him. Although this act is considered a serious crime, some Haru Invest victims are now gathering petitions for leniency towards Mr. Kang.
While the victims acknowledge that Mr. Kang’s actions were “not the right choice,” they are appealing for understanding of the desperation felt by victims of fraud. Those who signed the online petition described the stabbing as “a wrongful expression of a fraud victim’s desperation” and asked the court to take into account the victims’ pain. As of the 13th of this month, around 90 victims had signed the petition.
The economic and emotional suffering endured by the victims is indescribable. One victim, Ms. Park Min-seo (alias), who had entrusted 4 billion won worth of cryptocurrency to Haru Invest, shared that she had lost not only her own money but also that of her family and relatives, and had even given up on getting married, dedicating herself to the public trial for over a year. Another victim, Mr. Kim Hyung-joon (alias), who had saved money while working as a sailor, revealed that he lost everything overnight and had to resort to alcohol for months to cope.
Attorney Hong Blue, representing the victims, emphasized that due to the nature of cryptocurrencies, asset seizure and confiscation are difficult, necessitating specialized investigations. Unlike traditional assets, decentralized cryptocurrencies lack a central authority to enforce seizure orders, making it crucial to secure access to private keys of Bitcoin wallets as part of the investigative strategy.
Amid such desperate circumstances, some victims are petitioning for leniency for Mr. Kang. While they acknowledge that his actions cannot be justified, they are asking for understanding of the immense pain he endured, which left him unable to live a normal life due to the fraud.
