Police transfer duo to prosecution for allegedly blackmailing Tottenham's Son Heung-min
This compilation photo shows a duo accused of blackmailing Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min arriving at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, May 17. Yonhap
Police transferred two people to the prosecution Thursday on suspicion of blackmailing Korean football star Son Heung-min with pregnancy claims.
The Gangnam Police Station said it transferred a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on charges of blackmail and attempted blackmail, respectively. Both are under arrest.
The woman surnamed Yang allegedly approached the Tottenham Hotspur captain last June claiming she was pregnant with his child and demanded money in exchange for staying silent.
She reportedly sent Son an ultrasound image of a baby and received over 300 million won ($215,000).
The man, surnamed Yong, is also suspected of approaching Son in March and trying to extort 70 million won from him, without success. He reportedly learned about Yang's blackmail while dating her.
Son filed a complaint with the police earlier this month, claiming Yang had blackmailed him with a false pregnancy claim.
The police apprehended the duo last week and placed them under formal arrest with a court-issued warrant Saturday.