Those who blackmailed the late actor Lee Sun Gyun have once again faced prison sentences in their appeal trial.

On the morning of May 21, the Incheon District Court’s Criminal Appeals Division 3, presided over by Judge Choi Seong-bae, held a final appeal hearing for A, a manager at an adult entertainment establishment, and B, a former actor, both charged with extortion.

During the session, prosecutors requested a 7-year prison sentence for A, the same term they had sought in the first trial.

A’s legal representative stated in the closing argument, “The defendant (A) seems to have made poor choices out of fear of an unidentified blackmailer,” and conveyed that A is reflecting on their actions. A formal apology was also extended to the bereaved family.

Prosecutors did not make a sentencing recommendation for B, as their legal counsel was absent from the hearing.

In the first trial held on December 19 of last year, A was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and is currently serving that term. B was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months.

A was indicted for extorting 300 million KRW (approx. 220,000 USD) from the late Lee Sun Gyun in September 2023. In addition to this case, A was also charged with drug-related offenses — including the use of methamphetamine and ketamine — committed between December 2022 and August 2023. For those charges, A was sentenced to one year in prison in October last year. A reportedly has six prior drug-related convictions.

B allegedly posed as a hacker to extort A and later directly blackmailed Lee Sun Gyun in October 2023, receiving 50 million KRW (approx. 36,000 USD) in the process.

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