Shocking Attack in Seoul Courtroom: CEO of Haru Invest Assaulted
In a dramatic turn of events, Hugo Hyungsoo Lee, the CEO of South Korean crypto firm Haru Invest, was brutally attacked in a Seoul courtroom. The assault occurred during ongoing legal proceedings related to a massive fraud case involving the company.
The Incident: A Sudden Attack
On August 28, as the trial unfolded, a man in his 40s—an individual among the many Haru Invest victims—leaped from his seat and attempted to stab Lee multiple times in the neck with a small knife. The shocking scene led to immediate chaos, with Lee being rushed to the hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Haru Invest had come under intense scrutiny after suspending withdrawals on June 13, 2023. The following day, Delio, a company managing funds deposited with Haru Invest, also halted withdrawals, further escalating concerns among investors.
Details of the Haru Invest Fraud Case
The Haru Invest scandal involves the alleged theft of approximately $826 million in digital assets from around 16,000 users. South Korean prosecutors have charged three executives of the company, including Lee, with embezzling these funds. The charges stem from accusations that the executives misappropriated customers’ deposits from March 2020 to June 2023, falsely presenting Haru Invest as a stable and risk-free investment platform.
In February 2024, prosecutors arrested Lee and his co-defendants. By July, Lee had been released from custody in anticipation of the trial. His release, however, did little to quell the rising tensions among those affected by the fraud.
Rising Physical Threats in the Crypto World
This attack on Lee is a stark reminder of the increasing physical violence associated with cryptocurrency crimes. Traditionally dominated by cyber-attacks and digital heists, the crypto world is witnessing a troubling rise in physical assaults linked to digital assets.
Just a few weeks earlier, on August 4, a gang of four Chinese nationals forced a victim at gunpoint to transfer $2 million worth of cryptocurrency from a luxury estate in Pathum Thani, Thailand. Similarly, in July, a group of men in Kyiv, Ukraine, kidnapped a Bitcoin holder and coerced him into transferring 3 Bitcoin to their wallets before strangling him.
The trend of violent crypto crimes continued with a June 17 incident in London, where armed men wielding machetes broke into a home and demanded the owner transfer 1,000 Ether, valued at over $2.5 million. Fortunately, the homeowner escaped without physical harm.
Conclusion
The stabbing of Hugo Hyungsoo Lee highlights the dangerous intersection of financial crime and physical violence in the crypto sector. As digital currencies continue to grow in prominence, it’s clear that both law enforcement and investors need to remain vigilant against not only cyber threats but also increasingly brazen physical attacks.
