In brief
A woman in her twenties was sentenced to four years in prison for blackmailing football star Son Heung-min. She extorted over $200,000 from him by falsely claiming to be pregnant with his child, threatening to go public with the allegation. Her accomplice received a two-year sentence. The case highlights the abuse of celebrity status for personal gain, causing significant distress to Son.
A South Korean court has sentenced a woman who blackmailed football star Son Heung-min to four years in prison.
The woman in her 20s and her accomplice, a man in his 40s, were found guilty of blackmailing the former Tottenham captain by claiming she was pregnant with his child.
The woman had approached Son sometime last year asserting she was carrying his child, a claim she could not verify, according to a Seoul district court.
She extorted 300 million won (approximately $200,000 or £153,000) from him, threatening to make the allegation public if he did not comply.
Reports reveal that the woman spent the money on luxury and designer goods.
Prosecutors remarked that, [The woman] insists she received the money as compensation and portrays herself as a victim. However, her claims do not fully match the facts, accusing her of having premeditated the crime.
The accomplice, who had threatened Son 15 times to obtain the money, received a two-year sentence for his role in the attempted blackmail.
Upon their demand for further funds this year, Son sought assistance from the police.
The judge noted that both individuals exploited Son's celebrity status for their criminal activities, emphasizing the intense mental anguish Son experienced amid media coverage of the case.
Son was recently named the second-highest paid footballer in Major League Soccer (MLS) following his move to Los Angeles Football Club after a decade with Tottenham Hotspur.
Widely regarded as one of Asia's finest footballers, Son garnered immense popularity in his home country and across the region.
In 2022, he became the first Asian player to win the Premier League's golden boot, an award recognizing the leading goal scorer of the season.
Additional reporting by Kelly Ng
