The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating Polymarket after a civil complaint alleged the blockchain-based prediction market is brokering illegal gambling for South Korean users, according to a June 5, 2026 report from Chosun Biz.
The complaint was relayed through the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Min Byeong-deok and filed by Lee Sang-jin, an anti-gambling and cyber oversight advocate. It alleges that Polymarket allows speculative betting on political outcomes, economic indicators, and weather events, all accessible from inside South Korea.
Polymarket remains accessible in the country and offers Korean-language service, according to the Chosun Biz report. That combination of local-language support and unrestricted access forms the basis of the complaint’s argument that the platform actively serves Korean users.
Legal commentator Ahn Chang-bo told Chosun Biz that the elements of a gambling offense “appear to be met,” though no formal charges have been filed. The investigation is at an early stage, and no direct police statement or case docket naming Polymarket has been published.
What Korean law could mean for the case
South Korea’s Criminal Act Article 246 says a person who gambles may be punished by a fine not exceeding 10 million won. That is the baseline penalty for a simple gambling offense under Korean law.
The same provision raises the penalty for habitual gambling to imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine not exceeding 20 million won.
A separate legal pathway could carry even steeper consequences. A South Korean Supreme Court precedent confirmed that domestic users can be punished under the National Sports Promotion Act for placing bets through overseas-operated online wagering sites, as long as the betting act occurs inside South Korea.
Under that precedent, users face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. Operators face up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 70 million won.
The central unresolved question is whether Polymarket’s event contracts, which let users buy and sell outcome shares on a blockchain, legally qualify as gambling under Korean statutes. Prediction markets have faced similar classification debates in other jurisdictions, including the United States, where Kalshi recently launched perpetual futures trading after winning its own regulatory battle with the CFTC.
Why Polymarket’s Korean access puts extra pressure on the platform
The fact that Polymarket is still accessible from South Korea, and actively provides a Korean-language interface, strengthens the complainant’s argument that the platform is not passively available but deliberately serving local users. For enforcement purposes, that distinction matters.
The Supreme Court precedent on overseas online betting sites specifically addresses the scenario where a foreign-operated platform is used by someone inside South Korea. If prosecutors classify Polymarket’s event contracts as wagers, that precedent provides a tested legal pathway to penalize both users and the platform operator.
No directly accessible police statement, case docket, or regulator notice naming Polymarket was located beyond the Chosun Biz report. According to unconfirmed industry reporting, the Korea Communications Standards Commission has also opened a separate review of the platform, though no official KCSC notice has been published.
The probe arrives during a period of broader global scrutiny over where prediction markets fall on the spectrum between financial instruments and gambling. Polymarket, which settles contracts in the stablecoin USDC, has grown rapidly since the 2024 U.S. election cycle and now lists markets spanning politics, economics, sports, and weather.
For South Korean authorities, the investigation is still developing. Whether it advances beyond the initial complaint stage will depend on how prosecutors and regulators interpret the nature of event-contract trading under existing gambling law. Meanwhile, the platform’s continued Korean-language availability suggests Polymarket has not yet moved to restrict access in response to the complaint.
The broader crypto market is trading under stress, with the Fear & Greed Index sitting at 12, deep in “Extreme Fear” territory, a backdrop that tends to amplify regulatory headlines across digital asset markets.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
