Deception and Fake Plots... The True Faces of Lee Seon-gyun's Blackmailers

The Full Story of the Case Revealed in the Indictment

A former actor who extorted over 300 million won by threatening the late actor Go Lee Seon-gyun was found to have deceived another defendant, a nightlife establishment manager, by staging a fake threat as if he were the blackmailer.

According to the report by Yonhap News on the 5th based on the prosecution's indictment, former actor A (29) and nightlife establishment manager B (30) lived in the same apartment and were close enough to call each other sister and younger sister. A knew about B's methamphetamine use and his connections with celebrities made through working at the nightlife establishment. Using a phone registered under a company name, A sent threatening Telegram messages to B, pretending to be a hacker.

Former actor A, accused of threatening late actor Lee Seon-gyun to extort money, has been brought to trial.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

B believed the person sending the Telegram messages was the real hacker, and A sent messages saying, "Make 100 million won by Wednesday. For every delay, an additional 10 million won will be added. If you deny my words, I will contact your family."

After being threatened by A, B asked Lee for 300 million won, saying, "My phone was hacked and I am being threatened, so I need money to keep quiet." Eventually, on September 22 last year, Lee hurriedly handed over 300 million won in cash to B.

Before Lee gave the money, on September 17 last year, A encouraged the crime by telling B, "Get 300 million won, give 100 million to the blackmailer, and you can use the remaining 200 million." Two days later, when B was about to send a message to Lee, A said, "Send it to me too," and they wrote threatening messages together. However, B kept the 300 million won cash alone and did not give any money to A, who had threatened him.

Afterwards, A decided to threaten Lee directly. On October 13 last year, A contacted Lee's acquaintance and said, "The money I asked B for was 100 million won. I am going to have B arrested for drugs and I want to get money too." A then demanded 100 million won from Lee, lowered the amount by half, and received 50 million won.

The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted A in January this year on charges including extortion, aiding extortion, attempted extortion, violation of the Telecommunications Business Act, and unlicensed driving under the Road Traffic Act. B, who was already arrested and indicted last November on charges related to stimulant and marijuana under the Narcotics Control Act, was additionally charged with extortion. Their first trial will be held on the 14th of this month at the Incheon District Court. It was originally scheduled for the 29th of last month but was postponed due to a recent change in B's legal counsel.