Son Heung-min blackmail case leads to arrests

A man and a woman have been arrested for allegedly extorting Son Heung-min, captain of South Korea’s national soccer team and Tottenham Hotspur, by falsely claiming the woman was pregnant with his child.

On May 17, Judge Yoon Won-mook of Seoul Central District Court held a detention hearing and approved arrest warrants for Yang, a woman in her 20s, and her acquaintance Yong, a man in his 40s, citing concerns over possible evidence tampering and flight risk. Yang is accused of extortion after receiving 300 million won (about $220,000) from Son, while Yong faces charges of attempted extortion for allegedly trying to obtain an additional 70 million won (around $50,000). Police plan to continue investigating their potential collusion during the detention period before sending the case to prosecutors.

Authorities confirmed through medical records that Yang underwent an abortion. They also verified the ultrasound image she sent to Son was authentic. However, it remains unclear whether the aborted fetus was Son’s child. Yong reportedly sent emails to multiple media outlets in April, claiming to have damaging information about Son and demanding payment for it.


천종현 punch@donga.com