South Korean police investigate 26 Polymarket users for illegal gambling

South Korean authorities have launched an investigation into 26 local users of the prediction market platform Polymarket, with 18 individuals referred to prosecutors on charges of illegal gambling. The total amount wagered by these users is estimated at approximately 17.6 billion KRW (12.7 million USD). This action marks a shift in South Korean regulatory enforcement, extending beyond platform-level blocks to direct criminal investigations of individual users who bypassed access restrictions.