'Quit being an idol': Ex-girlfriend who threatened K-pop singer with sex video gets suspended sentence

Xportsnews

The ex-girlfriend of a 26-year-old active K-pop boy group member has received a suspended prison sentence after threatening to release an intimate video of the singer.

According to legal platform LawTalk News on Wednesday, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s Criminal Division 12 sentenced the woman, identified as B, to one year in prison with two years of probation for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (coercion using video recordings) and for property damage.

The court also ordered her to complete 40 hours of sexual violence counseling and imposed a four-year employment restriction at institutions involving children, teenagers and people with disabilities.

She dated the singer, referred to as A, for approximately one year and four months starting in November 2020. When the relationship deteriorated, she allegedly engaged in retaliatory threats.

In December 2021, she reportedly created a social media account using the singer's photos and sent a message saying, “Quit being an idol. The only path left for you is the military,” along with a portion of a sex video involving the two.

In January 2022, she escalated the threats, allegedly messaging, “I’ll post all our pictures and videos and tag them.” In December of the same year, during a verbal argument, she damaged the singer's phone by throwing it.

“The defendant used the sex video to threaten the victim and block his future as a public figure. The crime is not light,” the court said. “It appears the victim suffered betrayal, humiliation and emotional distress.”

However, the court noted several factors in mitigation, including the woman's admission of guilt and remorse, the fact that the victim withdrew his complaint after a settlement and that the video was not actually distributed.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.