Two individuals accused of attempting to extort money from South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min were formally indicted and handed over to prosecutors in custody, authorities said Thursday.
The Seoul Gangnam Police Station said it sent a woman in her 20s, identified as Yang, and a man in his 40s, identified as Yong, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at around 8 a.m. on charges of extortion and attempted extortion, respectively.
Yang, who is reportedly Son’s former girlfriend, allegedly blackmailed the Tottenham Hotspur forward in June last year by sending him an ultrasound image and threatening to reveal she was pregnant. She is accused of extorting over 300 million won ($217,000) from the player before signing a written statement pledging not to disclose the alleged pregnancy.
Yong, who later became romantically involved with Yang, is accused of approaching Son in March this year and attempting to secure 70 million won. Authorities said he learned of the extortion after beginning a relationship with Yang and proceeded to commit the crime.
The case was opened after Son filed a criminal complaint on May 7. Following an investigation, police arrested the suspects on May 14 and seized mobile phones and other materials in a search of their residences.
On May 16, police requested arrest warrants, which were granted by the court the following day on grounds of potential evidence destruction and flight risk.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
