Woman sentenced to 4 years in prison for blackmailing soccer star Son Heung-min

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates a win against over Austin FC during Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer's Western Conference playoffs on Nov. 2, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman, File)

SEOUL, South Korea — 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 charged with extorting 300 million won (US$204,000) from Son in 2024 after sending him an ultrasound photo of a baby that she claimed was his and demanding money to stay silent.

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

The Seoul Central District Court on Monday said Yang “lied” to Son, although she hadn’t confirmed whose child she was carrying.

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

The 33-year-old Son is among Asia’s greatest players. After a decade at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, the South Korean star joined LAFC in August.

South Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported in May that a women in her 20s and a man in his 40s had been detained on suspicion of attempting to blackmail Son in June of last year while he was still at Tottenham.

The Associated Press