Home > National > Social Affairs

Son Heung-min's blackmailers plead for leniency in appeals court

Published: 11 Mar. 2026, 15:09 Updated: 11 Mar. 2026, 16:55

Two suspects accused of attempting to extort money from footballer Son Heung-min appear in court for a detention warrant hearing on May 17, 2025. [YONHAP]

A pair found guilty of blackmailing football star Son Heung-min with claims that he had fathered a child sought leniency in an appeals court on Wednesday, while the prosecution insisted that the prison sentences be upheld.

During the first hearing of the appeal at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday, prosecutors requested that the court dismiss appeals filed by a woman surnamed Yang and a man surnamed Yong, who were found guilty of extortion by a trial court and sentenced to four years and two years in prison, respectively. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term for Yang and two years for Yong in the lower court trial.

Addressing the court on Wednesday, Yang’s lawyer acknowledged the charges related to the extortion of 300 million won ($200,000) but said the defendant has been reflecting deeply while in detention and sincerely apologized to the victim.

However, the lawyer denied allegations that Yang conspired with Yong to attempt to extort an additional 70 million won, arguing that no such conspiracy took place.

In her final statement, Yang reportedly said she believes Son “must have suffered great shock and pain,” and that she “doesn’t know how to ask for forgiveness.”

“My case has been widely reported,” she was quoted as saying by the court, asking for leniency. “Even after I am released, I am afraid that I will have to live each day in fear of when, where or how threats might be made against me or my personal information exposed.”

Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-min waves to fans at the end of the Major League Soccer opening match between Los Angeles Football Club and Inter Miami CF at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. [AFP/YONHAP]

Yong also apologized, saying his “selfish greed and poor judgment had caused controversy and inflicted pain on the victim.”

The appeals court is scheduled to deliver a ruling on April 8.

Yang was indicted and detained on charges of extorting 300 million won from Son in June 2024 by threatening to reveal that she was pregnant with his child. She is also accused of attempting, together with Yong, to extort an additional 70 million won between March and May of last year by threatening to tell the media and Son's family that she was pregnant with his child and subsequently had an abortion, though the attempt ultimately failed.

In the lower court trial, the presiding judge said that while Yang claimed to believe that the fetus was Son’s child, her statements were inconsistent and difficult to accept. The court also said the 300 million won paid by Son was too excessive to be considered compensation related to an abortion.

The court criticized Yang for exploiting Son’s vulnerability as a public figure to obtain a large sum of money.

Regarding Yong, the court said he went beyond simple threats and demands by attempting to act on them, including leveraging Son’s celebrity status to threaten disclosure to advertisers and the media.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]