Pro golfer Ahn Sung Hyun, husband of former Fin.K.L member and actress Sung Yuri, is now headed to the Supreme Court despite being acquitted in his second trial.
According to legal sources on February 7, the prosecution filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on February 6, challenging the appellate court’s not guilty ruling. On February 2, the Criminal Division 13 of the Seoul High Court acquitted Ahn of charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and acceptance of a bribe in breach of trust.
Ahn Sung Hyun and former Bithumb Holdings CEO Lee Sang Joon had been accused of accepting solicitation from businessman Kang Jong Hyun in 2021 to list two so-called “kimchi coins” on the cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb. In return, they were alleged to have received 3 billion KRW (approx. 2.25 million USD) in cash, two luxury watches, and a high-end restaurant membership card.
Ahn was also accused of deceiving Kang by claiming that Lee urgently needed 2 billion KRW (approx. 1.5 million USD) in solicitation funds, which he allegedly embezzled. Investigators further stated that Ahn received luxury goods worth approximately 44 million KRW (approx. 33,000 USD), including a designer bag valued at 30 million KRW (approx. 22,500 USD) and high-end clothing.
However, the appellate court found Kang Jong Hyun’s testimony unreliable regarding the claim that the money was delivered to Ahn in exchange for coin listing favors. The court stated that Kang purchased two expensive watches and gave one each to the two men, but determined that Ahn should be regarded not as a bribe recipient but as a bribe giver in relation to the watches. It ruled that Ahn did not bear criminal responsibility for the acceptance of a bribe and acquitted him, while ordering the confiscation of one of the luxury watches.
Ahn had previously been sentenced in December 2024 to four years and six months in prison in the first trial and was taken into custody. He was later released on bail on June 11 of the following year. Amid the controversy surrounding her husband, Sung Yuri suspended her activities but resumed work in April last year through a home shopping broadcast and has since continued her career.
Although Ahn overturned his prison sentence with an acquittal in the second trial, the prosecution’s appeal now means the final decision will be determined by the Supreme Court. Ahn debuted as a professional golfer in 2005 and served as a reserve coach for the South Korean national golf team from 2014 to 2018. He married Sung Yuri in 2017, and the couple has twin daughters.
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