South Korean Woman Sentenced for Blackmailing Football Star Son Heung-min

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 renowned footballer by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. The woman approached Son last year with the allegation, despite being uncertain of its truth. According to local media, she extorted $300 million won (approximately $200,000) from him, threatening to go public with the allegation if he did not comply. After receiving the money, she reportedly spent it on luxury and designer goods, as reported by AFP news agency. Prosecutors argued that the woman attempted to portray herself as a victim, stating, [The woman] insists she received the money as compensation, but her claims do not fully match the facts, and accused her of meticulously planning the crime. The accomplice, who had threatened Son 15 times, was sentenced to two years for attempted blackmail. When they attempted to demand more money earlier this year, Son contacted the police, leading to their arrest. The judge noted that the woman and her accomplice had taken advantage of Son's celebrity status and expressed concern for the intense mental anguish Son faced due to the media attention surrounding the incident. Recently, Son was named the second-highest paid footballer in Major League Soccer (MLS) after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, with whom he spent a decade, to join Los Angeles Football Club—a move marking a record transfer in the league's history. Son is widely regarded as one of Asia's foremost football stars and gained significant recognition in 2022 when he became the first Asian player to win the Premier League's golden boot award for leading goal scorer.