The former head of the outside production company behind Disney+‘s original series “Casino” has been missing for about four months, and reports on October 29 say he was also accused of embezzling about 1.5 billion won.
According to Newsis, citing a Chosun Ilbo report published on October 29, the former executive, identified only as A, lost contact with his family in early July. After he failed to return home, his family filed a missing-person report.
Ilsan Seobu police in Gyeonggi Province, who received the report, have traced his movements through closed-circuit television footage and the location where his phone was last switched off, according to Korean outlets reporting the Chosun account. Four months on, his whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
During the search, a second case emerged. In late July, a KOSPI-listed company where A had served as an inside director filed a complaint accusing him of embezzling 1.5 billion won in company funds. The company, auto-parts maker Unichem, said an internal audit identified the amount and disclosed on July 23 that an embezzlement allegation had arisen, adding that the figure could change as the investigation proceeds. Reports put it at about 1.14 percent of the company’s equity capital.
Unichem had brought A on board as an inside director last year as it looked to expand into the entertainment business. Seoul’s Seongdong police are handling the embezzlement complaint, while Ilsan Seobu police retain the missing-person inquiry, and the two stations are sharing information, according to reports.
Police are keeping open both possibilities: that he deliberately disappeared to evade investigation, and that he suffered an accident. Reports stressed that whether there is any link between his disappearance and the embezzlement allegation has not been confirmed.
A began as a producer at a terrestrial broadcaster, founded a content company in 2019, and later led drama production at Arc Media, now Scene & Studio, after a merger. The company went on to produce “Casino” as well as “Grid” and “Not Others.” After broadcaster slot cuts turned the company’s earnings from profit to loss, he stepped down from management in 2025 and joined Unichem as an inside director.
“Casino” is a Disney+ crime thriller centred on a casino operator pursued by investigators. No official statement from the production company was cited in the reports, and inquiries into both his whereabouts and the allegation are continuing.
