Man jailed for making death threats to child actor

By Lee Gyu-lee

Wang Seok-hyeon on the red carpet at the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2018. Korea Times file

A man was jailed for 10 months Thursday for making death threats to teenage actor Wang Seok-hyeon, whom he once was obsessed with.

The man, identified by the surname Lee, in his 30s, appeared in the Seoul Eastern District Court charged with falsely accusing the 16-year-old actor of theft and threatening to kill him. The death threats were made in phone calls to Wang's agency and Dankook University Middle School, where the star attended, last December.

Lee said during police questioning that he had been Wang's fan for a long time but became upset when he could not meet the actor.

During the trial, Lee claimed he was suffering from Asperger's syndrome. But the court ruled that the defendant was in a stable mental state when committing the crime.

“Given that the defendant made death threats from his obsession with the actor, the court concluded that severe punishment is inevitable,” the judge said.

Wang is managed by STX Lionheart Entertainment. He debuted in 2008 in the hit movie “Scandal Makers,” starring actress Park Bo-young. In December, he won the Best Child Actor award at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards for his role in the TV drama “A pledge to God.”