South Korean Crypto CEO Stabbed in Court Amid $826 Million Fraud Trial

In a shocking incident, Hugo Hyungsoo Lee, CEO of South Korean crypto firm Haru Invest, was stabbed multiple times in the neck during a court hearing in Seoul. Lee’s company is embroiled in a significant fraud case, where three executives are accused of embezzling $826 million worth of cryptocurrency from around 16,000 users.

According to reports, the attack occurred when a man in his 40s, one of the victims of Haru Invest’s alleged fraud, suddenly leapt from his seat in the courtroom and attempted to stab Lee with a small knife. The attack happened amid the trial proceedings, with Lee being swiftly rushed to a hospital after the assault.

The courtroom stabbing is the latest violent development in the Haru Invest scandal. The crypto platform abruptly suspended withdrawals on June 13, 2023. The following day, Delio, a depository firm holding funds with Haru Invest, also paused withdrawals. Investigations revealed that Haru executives had allegedly misused customer funds between March 2020 and June 2023, falsely promoting the company as a stable and risk-free investment platform.

The incident is part of a growing trend of physical violence linked to cryptocurrency crimes. In early August, a group of Chinese nationals in Thailand robbed $2 million in crypto at gunpoint, and in July, a foreigner in Ukraine was kidnapped and forced to transfer his Bitcoin to the attackers’ wallets. In June, armed robbers in London invaded a home, threatening the owner to transfer over $2.5 million worth of Ether.

The Haru Invest case continues to unfold, with Lee recently released from custody in July as the trial proceeds.