Son Heung-min Extortion Case Court Ruling

A request for a non-custodial trial was made by one of the individuals demanding a large sum of money from the captain of the South Korean national football team, Son Heung-min (33, Los Angeles FC), under the pretense of "being pregnant with his child," but it was rejected by the court.

On the 11th, Judge Lim Jeong-bin of the Seoul Central District Court denied the bail request from Mr. Yong (40), who is accused of extortion.

Judge Lim stated as a reason for the denial, "There is a concern that the defendant might flee."

The bail system allows for the release of detained defendants under certain conditions, whether by receiving a deposit or having a guarantor, but the court determined that Mr. Yong did not meet these conditions.

The Details of the Son Heung-min Threat Case

This case began when Ms. Yang (28), who was in a romantic relationship with Son Heung-min, claimed pregnancy by sending fetal ultrasound photos and was suspected of extorting 300 million KRW.

After extorting this amount, Ms. Yang reportedly spent it all on luxury items and subsequently attempted to extort additional money through her partner, Mr. Yong.

Mr. Yong is accused of demanding an additional 70 million KRW by threatening to reveal the pregnancy and abortion between March and May.

Their extortion attempts have drawn social interest as crimes targeting sports stars.

During the first trial held on the 17th of last month, Mr. Yong's side admitted to all charges.

In contrast, Ms. Yang's side denied the charges of conspiracy and attempted extortion, stating that they would "later clarify their position" regarding the initial extortion of 300 million KRW from Son Heung-min. In response, the court decided to separate the trials of the two defendants for consideration.

Image source: Son Heung-min / gettyimageskorea, News1