Disgraced comedian-turned-director Shim Hyung-rae has been banned from leaving the country in connection with suspicions that he embezzled huge company funds, police said Monday. Police have recently launched an internal probe into suspicions that Shim, chairman of the movie production company Younggu Art, misappropriated 4.1 billion won (US$3.7 million) of company funds for private purposes, for three years from 2008.