South Korean woman jailed for extorting Son Heung-min

A woman from South Korea has been sentenced to four years in prison after extorting the captain of the country’s national football team, Son Heung-min, by claiming she was pregnant with his child, Reuters reported.

The woman, aged between her 20s and 30s and identified only by her surname Yang, was charged earlier this year after threatening to make the alleged pregnancy public, CE Report quotes BTA.

In exchange for her silence, she received 300 million South Korean won (about 200,000 U.S. dollars), and later attempted to secure an additional 70 million won.

A man in his 40s or 50s has also been charged as an accomplice.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yang to four years in prison, while her accomplice received a two-year sentence. According to the court, the defendants exploited Son’s fame and the vulnerability of someone in his position to such accusations, causing serious psychological harm to the footballer.

Representatives of the former Tottenham forward declined to comment on the case.

Son Heung-min left Spurs this summer after 10 years at the London club and joined Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.

With South Korea’s national team, he has played 140 matches and scored 54 goals.