South Korean man faces 10 years in prison for stabbing crypto CEO during fraud trial

South Korean prosecutors have requested a court to sentence a man to 10 years in prison for stabbing the CEO of the South Korean cryptocurrency custody company Haru Invest during a court hearing in August 2024. The Southern District Prosecutor's Office in Seoul confirmed to The Block that they made the sentencing request at the final hearing of the court attack case on Wednesday, considering the seriousness of the crime.

The attacker, named Jiang (phonetic translation), is 51 years old. He repeatedly stabbed the CEO of Haru Invest, Lee Hyung-soo, in the neck with a fruit knife. Lee Hyung-soo was quickly taken to the hospital, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

This incident occurred while Lee Hyung-soo was in court for multiple fraud-related charges. According to the prosecutors, from March 2020 to June 2023, Haru Invest attracted around 16,000 domestic and foreign investors in South Korea by promising to return the principal and pay up to 16% interest, despite the company being in a capital loss state since 2019. On June 13, 2023, Haru Invest suddenly suspended its deposit and withdrawal operations, and declared bankruptcy in November last year.