Former Actress And Nightclub Manager Sentenced To Prison For Blackmailing Actor Lee Sun Kyun

A former actress and a nightclub manager have been sentenced to prison for blackmailing later actor Lee Sun Kyun to extort money.

On December 19, KST, the Incheon District Court’s Criminal Division 4 sentenced nightclub manager “A” to three years and six months in prison for blackmailing Lee. “B,” a former actress, was indicted on the same charges and handed down a prison sentence of four years and two months.

According to the court, “A” independently decided to extort ₩300 million KRW (about $206,000 USD). Though she claimed to have been gaslighted by “B” into doing it, the court didn’t accept her claim.

The victim, a well-known actor, likely experienced fear and severe psychological distress due to A’s crime. B also directly threatened the victim, exacerbating the mental anguish.

— Incheon District Court

The court also stated that this blackmail was possibly one of the contributors that pushed Lee to take his own life.

The victim took his own life after his drug investigation became public. Even if there were other causes involved, it cannot be denied that the defendants’ blackmail played a role in the victim’s death.

— Incheon District Court

However, the court also noted that “A” was threatened by “B,” which influenced the former’s criminal conduct to a certain extent. The judges took it into consideration that “B” had admitted to their crimes, shown remorse, and had minor children under their care.

During a trial last month, prosecutors sought a seven-year prison sentence for both defendants. “A” was arrested and indicted last September for extorting ₩300 million KRW (about $206,000 USD) from Lee Sun Kyun over a phone call. A police investigation later revealed that the hacker who threatened “A” at that time was “B.”

You can read in detail about Lee Sun Kyun’s case here.