A 20-something woman and a man in his 40s, who are accused of blackmailing by claiming to be pregnant with national soccer player Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur)'s child, will have their detention status decided as early as the 17th.
On that day at 2 p.m., Director General Yoon Won-mook of the Seoul Central District Court held a pre-trial hearing for a suspect, a 20-something woman named Yang, who faces blackmail charges, and a man in his 40s named Yong, who faces attempted blackmail charges. The two, who were arrested on the 14th, attended the hearing handcuffed. They did not respond to questions from reporters.
Yang is reportedly said to have been in a relationship with Son Heung-min. She allegedly sent a pregnancy message and fetal ultrasound image to Son's side in June of last year, blackmailing him by threatening to disclose this fact, leading her to receive over 300 million won from Son.
It is reported that after Yang broke up with Son Heung-min, she started seeing Yong. However, after learning that Yang received money from Son, Yong reportedly demanded 70 million won from Son's side, threatening to expose this information.
In response, Son Heung-min's agency submitted a complaint to the police on the 7th, initiating an investigation. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station arrested the two on the 14th and applied for a warrant the following day. The decision on their detention status is expected to be announced as early as that night or, at the latest, early on the 18th.