Former Film Actor Who Extorted 50 Million Won
Sentenced to Six Years and Six Months in Prison
The manager of an entertainment establishment and a former film actor, who extorted money by threatening the late actor Lee Seongyun, received increased sentences in their appeals trial.
On July 16, the Criminal Appeals Division 3 of the Incheon District Court (Presiding Judge Choi Seongbae) overturned the original sentence of three years and six months in prison for defendant A (31, female), the entertainment manager who was indicted on charges including extortion, and sentenced her to five years and six months in prison. Although A had previously been released on bail by the court, she was taken into custody in the courtroom following this verdict.
The court also overturned the original sentence of four years and two months in prison for former film actor B (30, female), who was indicted on similar charges, and sentenced her to six years and six months in prison.
Regarding A, the court stated, "She demanded an amount of money from the victim, who trusted her, that exceeded what B had requested," and added, "The defendant instilled fear in the victim (actor Lee) through threats, and after speculative media reports emerged, the victim took his own life."
The court continued, "It cannot be denied that the defendant contributed to the cause of death, and the bereaved family continues to suffer severe pain, with the damages yet to be remedied. Furthermore, even after being released on bail, the defendant's attitude raises doubts about whether she is truly remorseful."
Regarding B, the court stated, "The defendant attempted to extort a famous actor by exploiting a drug-related incident, but failed, and after not succeeding in sharing the extorted money, she directly committed the extortion herself. She purchased multiple burner SIM cards and pretended to be a hacker, which makes the nature of her crime particularly egregious."
The court added, "She committed the crimes by any means necessary to achieve her goals, instilling fear in a well-known actor who is sensitive to public opinion, and ultimately contributing to the cause of his extreme decision."
In September 2023, A called actor Lee and said, "My phone has been hacked and I am being threatened, so I need money to keep things quiet," and extorted 300 million won from him, leading to her indictment.
According to the police investigation, the hacker who threatened A at the time was later revealed to be B, who lived in the same apartment complex and was on friendly terms with her. B, knowing not only that A had used methamphetamine but also that she was close to Lee, pretended to be a hacker using an illegal SIM card.
However, when B failed to obtain money from A, she directly demanded 100 million won from Lee in October 2023, threatening him and extorting 50 million won. B, who has a previous conviction for fraud, had appeared in minor roles in films produced in 2012 and 2015.
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