The Deputy Minister of an entertainment establishment and a former movie actor, who extorted more than 300 million won by threatening actor the late Lee Seon-kyun, received a longer prison sentence in the appeals court than in the first trial.
On the 16th, the Incheon District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 3 (Director General Choi Seong-bae) overturned the original ruling that sentenced Deputy Minister A to 3 years and 6 months in prison and imposed 5 years and 6 months instead.
The original sentence that imposed 4 years and 2 months in prison on former movie actor B, who was indicted on the same charges, was also overturned and a sentence of 6 years and 6 months was imposed.
The court stated regarding A, "He demanded a higher amount than what B requested from the victim who trusted him. The defendant threatened the victim and instilled fear, and the victim made an extreme choice when speculative reports related to the case emerged. It cannot be denied that the defendant contributed to the cause of death, and the bereaved family continues to suffer immensely, and the damage has not been restored. Based on the behavior seen after being released on bail, I question whether the defendant is genuinely reflecting on his actions."
Regarding B, the court noted, "The defendant attempted to extort a famous actor under the pretext of drug offenses but did not succeed, and after failing to receive the extorted money, committed the extortion directly. He purchased several disposable SIM cards and posed as a hacker during the crime, showing poor quality in his misconduct. He used any means necessary to achieve his goal, and it can be seen that he instilled fear in a famous actor sensitive to public reaction, contributing to the cause of their extreme choice."
Earlier, A was arrested and indicted for extorting 300 million won by calling Lee Seon-kyun in September 2023 and saying, "My mobile phone has been hacked, and I need money for silence."
According to police investigations, B was revealed to be the hacker who threatened A, and upon learning not only of A's use of methamphetamine but also of A's close relationship with Lee Seon-kyun, he pretended to be a hacker using an illegal SIM card. However, after failing to extract money from A, he demanded 100 million won from Lee Seon-kyun on October 2023, ultimately extorting 50 million won.
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