Woman Who Tried to Blackmail Son Heung-min with Fake Pregnancy Scheme Gets Jail Time
Two individuals who orchestrated an extortion scheme targeting LAFC forward Son Heung-min received prison terms from a South Korean court on Monday.
The soccer star was initially approached by a woman in her twenties, known only as Yang, in June 2024 while he was still playing for Tottenham Hotspur. Yang presented Son with an ultrasound photograph of an unborn child, claiming he was the father and threatening to make the information public.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yang guilty of blackmailing Son for 300 million won ($204,000) during this initial extortion attempt, resulting in a four-year prison term.
Between March and May 2025, Yang partnered with a man in his forties, identified as Yong, to launch a second blackmail campaign against the LAFC player. The duo attempted to extract 70 million won by threatening to reveal details about the alleged pregnancy and abortion to Son's family and the media. This prompted Son to contact law enforcement, leading to both suspects' arrest in May 2025.
Yong received a two-year prison sentence for his role in the attempted extortion.
"Following her pregnancy discovery, Yang never verified the identity of the child's father," stated Judge Im Jeong-bin during sentencing, according to Korean news source Yonhap. "While Yang claimed to believe the unborn child was Son's, her statements were contradictory and lacked credibility."
The court also noted that Son experienced "significant emotional distress" due to the public nature of the scheme: "The victim holds celebrity status and is susceptible to such crimes, which the defendants exploited to obtain substantial financial gain, making this offense particularly serious."
The judge also commented on Yang's tactics to disturb Son: "Her actions extended beyond mere threats or monetary demands—she actively contacted media outlets and advertising companies, taking advantage of Son's public profile."
Son attended a private hearing in November as a witness but has not made any public statements regarding the sentencing outcome.