Son Heung-min verdict – Woman sentenced to 4 years in prison for blackmailing football star

A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for blackmailing soccer star Son Heung-min, a South Korean court said Monday.

The woman, identified only as Yang, was accused of extorting 300 million won ($204,000) from Son in 2024 after sending him an ultrasound photo of a baby she claimed was his and demanding money to keep quiet.

She later conspired with a man, identified as Yong, to try to extort more money from Son.

The Seoul Central District Court said on Monday that Yang “lied” to Son, although she had not confirmed whose child she was carrying.

The court found that Yang denied the charges of extortion and attempted extortion. Yong, who confessed, was sentenced to two years in prison, according to court records.

The 33-year-old Son is one of the biggest players in Asia. After a decade with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, the South Korean star joined Los Angeles FC in August.

South Korean News Agency, Yonhapreported in May that a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s had been arrested on suspicion of attempting to blackmail Son while he was still at Tottenham in June last year.

Published on December 8, 2025