A South Korean court has sentenced a woman in her 20s to four years in prison for blackmailing South Korea and former Tottenham football icon Son Heung-min by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child.
The Seoul district court on Monday, December 8, 2025, also handed a two-year jail term to her male accomplice, aged in his 40s, who threatened the footballer 15 times to force payment.
According to local media reports, the woman approached Son last year with the pregnancy claim despite not knowing whether it was true, and demanded money to keep the allegation private.
She eventually extorted 300 million won (approximately $200,000 or £153,000) from the star, which she spent on luxury and designer goods.
When the pair attempted to demand more money earlier this year, Son reported the matter to the police.
Prosecutors told the court the woman had “thoroughly planned” the crime and falsely portrayed herself as a victim who received the cash as compensation.
The judge noted that the defendants had abused Son’s celebrity status and caused him “intense mental anguish,” especially after the case became public.
Son Heung-min, 33, widely regarded as Asia’s biggest football star, left Tottenham Hotspur in August to join Los Angeles FC in the MLS in a record-breaking transfer for the league. In October, he was named the second-highest paid player in Major League Soccer.