Two individuals convicted of extorting and attempting to extort football star Son Heung Min by falsely claiming pregnancy and demanding large sums of money have appealed their sentences, according to legal authorities.
Yang (28), who was found guilty of extortion and attempted extortion, filed an appeal on December 9 with Judge Im Jung Bin of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 20. Yong (40), charged with attempted extortion, submitted his appeal one day earlier.
In the first trial, held on December 8, the court sentenced Yang to four years in prison and Yong to two years. The court ruled that the 300 million KRW (approximately 230,000 USD) Yang received from Son was “excessively large to be considered compensation for a pregnancy termination by general social standards,” adding that there was no evidence Son had ever requested an abortion. The court concluded the payment was made on the condition that Yang keep the alleged termination secret, fully recognizing her crimes.
Explaining the sentencing rationale, the court noted that Son, as a public figure, was particularly vulnerable to such crimes; that Yang exploited this vulnerability to obtain a substantial amount of money; that she denied the charges and showed no remorse; and that Son likely suffered significant psychological distress once the case became public. The court still acknowledged that Yang had no prior criminal record and that the second extortion attempt did not succeed.
Regarding Yong, the court stated that his actions “went beyond simple threats,” highlighting that he used Son’s celebrity status as leverage by threatening to expose the allegations to media outlets and advertisers. The court further considered Yong’s prior criminal history and the fact that he did not receive forgiveness from Son, though it took into account that the attempt ultimately failed.
Investigations revealed that Yang, who previously dated Son, sent him a fetal ultrasound image in June 2023, falsely claiming she was pregnant. She extorted 300 million KRW (approximately 230,000 USD) from him. Her boyfriend Yong was later accused of demanding an additional 70 million KRW (approximately 54,000 USD) from Son in March 2024.
Authorities found that Yang initially attempted to target a different man by claiming she was pregnant, but when he did not respond, she shifted her scheme toward Son, fabricating a pregnancy to obtain money. After spending all of the extorted funds and facing financial hardship, Yang and her then-new partner Yong attempted to extract more money from the football star.
SEE ALSO: Woman who blackmailed Son Heung Min receives four-year prison sentence
SHARE
