On 22/7, 32-year-old Lee Hyun Soo, a South Korean national, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court for theft. He was also ordered to compensate the victim for the entire stolen amount.

Defendant Lee Hyun Soo at the court today. Photo: Hai Duyen

Defendant Lee Hyun Soo at the court today. Photo: Hai Duyen

Soo admitted to his crime in court today.

Soo and Kim, 39, have been close friends since they lived in South Korea. Several years ago, they both came to Vietnam for business and lived in two apartments in the Masteri Thao Dien complex in Thu Duc City.

Trusting his friend, Kim gave Soo the password to his apartment and safe when he and his girlfriend returned to South Korea in late 2023. Kim asked Soo to check on the money in the safe. Kim kept the same passwords when he returned to Ho Chi Minh City.

On 13/6/2024, Soo went to a casino in a Ho Chi Minh City hotel and played slot machines, a service only available to foreigners. After losing all his money, he borrowed $50,000 from a Korean woman (whose identity is unknown) to try to recoup his losses, but ended up losing that as well.

Unable to repay the debt, Soo decided to steal from Kim. The next morning, knowing his friend was on a business trip to Hanoi, Soo went to Kim's apartment, opened the safe, and took ten stacks of $100 bills (totaling $100,000, equivalent to 2.5 billion VND). He then returned to his own apartment with the money.

Soo then took the money to the hotel and repaid the woman. He continued gambling and lost an additional $23,000, leaving him with $27,000, which he spent on a trip with his girlfriend. On 15/6, Kim discovered the theft and reported it to the police.

Hai Duyen