A room salon manager and a former actress who blackmailed the late actor Lee Sun Gyun, extorting 300 million KRW (approximately $220,000), have received longer prison sentences following their appeal trial.
On July 16, the Incheon District Court’s Criminal Appeals Division 3, presided over by Judge Choi Seong Bae, overturned the original sentence of three years and six months for the room salon manager, identified as 'A' in his 30s, increasing it to five years and six months for charges including extortion.
The court also revised the sentence for the former actress, identified as 'B,' stating: “She initially failed to extort money from the victim and later took part in the crime herself. Their actions instilled fear in a prominent public figure and directly contributed to the circumstances surrounding his tragic death.” B’s original sentence of four years and two months was increased to six years and six months.
In September 2023, A called Lee Sun Gyun, claiming, “My phone has been hacked and I’m being blackmailed. I need money for silence,” and successfully extorted 300 million KRW (approximately $220,000).
Police investigations later revealed that the so-called hacker was in fact B, a former neighbor and acquaintance of A, who had discovered A’s drug use and his personal connection to Lee Sun Gyun. Using an illegally obtained SIM card, B impersonated a hacker to threaten A.
When B failed to obtain a share of the extorted money from A, she contacted Lee Sun Gyun directly in October 2022, demanded 100 million KRW (approximately $72,000), and managed to extort 50 million KRW (roughly $36,200) from him.
A, who had previously been released on bail, was taken back into custody following the appellate court's ruling.
The court stated, “The defendant exploited the trust of the victim to demand a larger sum and instilled deep fear. He cannot deny his role in the chain of events that led to the actor’s death. The victim’s family continues to suffer immense emotional pain.”
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