South Korean Woman Jailed for Stealing $500,000 in Digital Assets from Boyfriend

A South Korean woman in her 40s has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing nearly $500,000 worth of digital assets from her boyfriend while he was sleeping.

According to local media reports, the woman memorized her boyfriend’s login details and carried out the theft on January 5 at his home in Jeju City. Around 11:50 PM, she accessed his phone and used banking and cryptocurrency apps to transfer about 683 million won (approximately $488,000) into her own accounts. She also took an additional 2 million won ($1,430) in cash.

After stealing the money, she fled to another city and checked into a hotel in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. However, police tracked her down and arrested her shortly after.

During her trial, the woman admitted to the crime and said she had returned most of the stolen money, claiming she still owed about 21.9 million won ($15,000). Her lawyers asked the court for leniency, saying she was remorseful and had made efforts to return the money.

However, the court denied the request. The judge noted that the woman had two previous fraud convictions, including one still pending trial at the time of this offense. The court said she had already been given chances in the past but continued to commit crimes.

As a result, the judge sentenced her to two years in prison.

This case highlights a rise in crypto-related crimes in Jeju and other parts of South Korea. In January, a man in his 30s was found stabbed to death after attending a private crypto meeting in Jeju. In a separate case, four Chinese nationals were caught stealing $63,000 in digital assets. Also, a 22-year-old woman named Maissa Jebali was arrested for stealing TRUMP meme coins from her ex-boyfriend.

Authorities warn that digital asset crimes are becoming more common and are urging the public to be cautious when handling cryptocurrencies.