A Seoul court on Monday sentenced a woman in her 20s to four years in prison for blackmailing South Korean football star Son Heung-min, after falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. Her accomplice, a man in his 40s, was handed a two-year term for attempted blackmail.
According to testimony cited in local reports, the woman approached Son last year and insisted she was carrying his baby—despite not knowing whether that was true. She threatened to publicize the claim unless he paid her. Son, who had spent most of his career avoiding public scandal, ultimately handed over 300 million won, roughly $200,000, in an attempt to contain the situation.
Prosecutors said the woman spent the money on luxury goods and designer labels, while continuing to cast herself as a victim. Her narrative, they argued, “did not fully match the facts,” and investigators concluded that the scheme had been carefully planned. Her accomplice repeatedly contacted Son—15 times in total—demanding more money on her behalf.
When fresh demands surfaced earlier this year, Son went to the police.
In delivering the sentence, the judge said both defendants had exploited Son’s fame and left him dealing with “intense mental anguish,” particularly after the allegations surfaced in the press. For a player who has long been seen as one of Asia’s most admired and least controversial stars, the episode marked a deeply personal intrusion.
Son’s career has entered a new chapter in recent months. In August, after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur—where he became the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot—he completed a record-setting move to Los Angeles Football Club. The 33-year-old was later named the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, cementing his status as one of the sport’s global marquee talents.
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His popularity at home remains immense. He is routinely held up as a symbol of discipline and excellence, and his every move draws national attention. That visibility, the court noted, made him an easy target.
The ruling closes one of the more unsettling chapters in Son’s public life. For prosecutors, it was a straightforward case of a celebrity being cornered by those who assumed his silence could be bought. For the court, it was a reminder that fame remains both an asset—and a vulnerability.
