A woman has been handed a four-year jail sentence after a fake pregnancy claim on Tottenham legend Son Heung-min that saw her extort Ksh26 million from him.
A woman in South Korea has been sentenced to four years in prison for extorting money from football star Son Heung-min by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child.
The woman, identified only by her surname Yang, was indicted earlier this year after demanding and receiving 300 million won (approximately Ksh26 million) from the former Tottenham Hotspur forward in exchange for her silence. She later attempted to extort an additional 70 million won.
A male accomplice in his 40s, who conspired with Yang, was also sentenced to two years in jail by the Seoul Central District Court.
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In its ruling, the court stated that the defendants exploited Son’s fame and vulnerability to their scheme, causing him significant mental distress. According to reports from Yonhap news agency, the court noted that Yang never confirmed the identity of the child’s father.
Judge Slams Woman for Tarnishing Son Heung-min
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Son Heung-min now plays for Los Angeles FC. Photo: Imago
Judge Im Jeong-bin highlighted the severity of Yang’s actions, stating that she took “extreme measures” to damage the South Korea captain’s reputation.
“It was not limited to simple threats or demands for money—she went further by taking action, such as informing the media and advertising agencies, exploiting Son’s status as a public figure,” Judge Im said.
The judge added that the footballer “suffered considerable psychological distress as a result of the case becoming public.”
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While Son’s agency had previously acknowledged that he knew the woman, it maintained that the demand for money was based on fabricated materials. Representatives for Son, who transferred from Tottenham to MLS side Los Angeles FC earlier this year, could not be reached for further comment.
