Woman arrested for blackmailing soccer star Son

A woman who claimed to be pregnant with South Korean soccer captain Son Heung-min’s child has been arrested for allegedly trying to blackmail him for hundreds of millions of won.

Seoul’s Gangnam Police said Wednesday they had arrested a woman in her 20s, identified as A, on charges of extortion. A man in his 40s, identified as B and described as her acquaintance, was also taken into custody on suspicion of attempted extortion.

According to police, the woman demanded money from Son in June 2023 while claiming to be pregnant. In March 2024, the man allegedly contacted Son’s side with additional demands. Son’s representatives filed a criminal complaint on May 7. Investigators have since searched the suspects’ homes and seized mobile phones and other evidence. Police are reviewing whether to request detention warrants.

Son’s management agency, Son & Football Limited, said in a statement on its website that “a group of individuals threatened to spread false claims and attempted to extort the player,” adding that they filed a police report and would take strong legal action without leniency.

“Son is clearly the victim in this matter,” the agency said. “We apologize for causing concern with this unfortunate situation.”

Under Korean law, extortion, defined as gaining money or assets through threats or intimidation, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (about $15,000).

Cases targeting celebrities for financial gain are not rare in South Korea. In April, prosecutors indicted three people for trying to blackmail a popular trot singer for 500 million won after obtaining private photos from the singer’s phone. Last month, a woman in her 30s and an accomplice in her 20s were sent to trial for blackmailing YouTuber Tzuyang, threatening to reveal that she had once worked at a hostess bar. The pair allegedly extorted over 210 million won.


이채완기자 chaewani@donga.com