A woman has been given a suspended sentence for blackmailing her ex-boyfriend, who is a male idol.
On June 1, a media outlet, Law Talk, exclusively reported that an ex-girlfriend of a 26-year-old male idol has been sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension for threatening him with a sex video. She was also ordered to attend sexual violence treatment lectures and received an employment restriction.
According to the report, she was brought to trial for using a sex video she filmed during their relationship to blackmail the idol. According to the court ruling, the ex-girlfriend, identified as 'A,' was in a romantic relationship with the male idol, referred to as 'B' (26 years old), from around November 2020 to March 2022, lasting about one year and four months. After the breakup, 'A' began using sex videos recorded during the relationship to threaten him.
The first threat occurred on December 10, 2021, at 1:47 PM. 'A' created a Twitter account using B’s photo and sent the link to him via text message. Along with the message “Quit being an idol. The only place left for you is the military. Sue me.” 'A' sent a sex video of the two along with the message. This was a calculated threat, exploiting the fact that male idols often face interruptions in their careers due to mandatory military service.
The second threat happened about a month later, on January 4, 2022, at 4:16 PM. 'A' texted 'B' saying, “I’ll upload all our pictures and tag you. That’s fine, right? If you don’t respond, I’m going to go all out. Sue me, okay? I’ll make an account and upload all our pictures and videos, and tag you. Answer me, you b****, stop ignoring my calls and quitting KakaoTalk.” This direct threat to upload private content to social media posed a serious risk to B’s career as a public figure.
A’s criminal actions did not end there. On December 31, 2021, at 6:39 PM, during an argument on a street in Buk-gu, Gwangju, 'A' threw and damaged B’s phone, resulting in repair costs.
During sentencing, the court emphasized the seriousness of the crime. The judge stated, “Each offense in this case involved the defendant using sex videos filmed during their romantic relationship to threaten the victim, aiming to ruin his career, which is a grave wrongdoing.” The fact that 'B' is an idol made the threats particularly damaging, as exposure of such content could be devastating to his career.
The court acknowledged the emotional toll on the victim, stating, “It appears the victim experienced significant psychological distress, including betrayal, anxiety, shame, and discomfort.” As a celebrity, 'B' likely suffered greater emotional damage than an average person.
However, the court also considered mitigating factors. 'A' admitted to the crimes and expressed remorse, reached an amicable settlement with the victim, and the victim withdrew the complaint and indicated they did not wish for punishment. 'A' also did not distribute the videos to others and deleted them voluntarily, and had no prior criminal record.
Although the sentencing guideline range was one year to one year and nine months in prison, the court ultimately gave a suspended sentence of one year in prison with two years of probation. 'A' was also ordered to complete 40 hours of sexual violence education and banned from working with children or the disabled for four years.
The court did not order A’s personal information to be publicly disclosed, citing the fact that she was a first-time offender, did not show a habitual pattern of sexual violence or a high risk of reoffending, and that the current measures (education, registration, employment restriction) were sufficient to prevent future crimes.
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