HONG KONG, CHINA – JULY 31: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur warms up prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Kai Tak Stadium, Kai Tak Sports Park on July 31, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
A woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for blackmailing football star Son Heung-min, a South Korean court said.
The woman, identified only as Yang, was charged with extorting 300 million won (£152,000) from Son in 2024 after sending him an ultrasound photo of a baby that she claimed was his, and demanding money to stay silent.
She later conspired with a man, identified as Yong, to try to extort more money from Son.
On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court said Yang “lied” to Son, although she had not confirmed whose child she was carrying.
The court said Yang denied the charges of extortion and attempted extortion. Yong, who confessed, was sentenced to two years in prison, according to the court.
The 33-year-old Son is among Asia’s greatest players. After a decade at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, the South Korean star joined LAFC in August.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported in May that a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s had been detained on suspicion of attempting to blackmail Son in June of last year while he was still at Tottenham.