South Korea’s Gangwon Provincial Police Agency referred 18 of 26 Polymarket users it investigated to prosecutors on Sept. 17 over alleged illegal gambling, according to The Asia Business Daily. The referral moves those cases into prosecutorial review, where a decision on whether to bring charges will be made.
Gangwon police refer 18 Polymarket users to prosecutors
The referral concerns 18 people among a group of 26 users investigated by the provincial agency. The police action does not itself amount to an indictment or a final finding of criminal liability.
South Korea’s National Police Agency describes a case referral, known in Korean as songchi, as the transfer of investigative records and evidence to prosecutors. Prosecutors then determine whether to prosecute, according to the agency’s case-support guidance.
No charging decision was reported alongside the Sept. 17 referral. The remaining eight users from the 26-person group were not included in the reported referral figure.
Wallet tracing linked Polymarket activity to South Korean users
Police reportedly relied on publicly available blockchain transaction records to connect Polymarket wallet addresses to individual users in South Korea.
Unchained reported that the tracing formed the basis for linking the platform activity to the people under investigation. The reported method relied on transaction records available on the blockchain rather than treating wallet addresses as anonymous in isolation.
Prosecutors will assess the investigative file and evidence transmitted by police before deciding whether to prosecute.
Investigated wagers totaled about 17.6 billion won
The 26 investigated users collectively wagered approximately 17.6 billion won, including about 5.7 billion won allegedly placed by one user, according to The Block.
That total covers all 26 users, not only the 18 reportedly referred to prosecutors, The Asia Business Daily reported. Prosecutors will decide whether to indict over the alleged gambling activity, according to Unchained.
