Prosecutors ask for 7-year sentence for bar hostess who allegedly blackmailed late actor Lee Sun-kyun

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Prosecutors ask for 7-year sentence for bar hostess who allegedly blackmailed late actor Lee Sun-kyun

Published: 25 Nov. 2024, 17:21

Actor Lee Sun-kyun arrives at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency in Incheon on Dec. 23, 2023, for a third round of questioning on suspicions of drug use. [NEWS1]

Prosecutors requested a seven-year prison sentence for a 30-year-old bar hostess accused of extorting late actor Lee Sun-kyun.

"The defendant exploited the victim's celebrity status, purchasing a burner phone to carry out a premeditated crime," prosecutors said during the sentencing hearing at the Incheon District Court on Monday. “The case is serious, and the nature of the offense is egregious.”

The hostess, surnamed Kim, was arrested and indicted in January for allegedly calling Lee in September last year, saying that her "phone has been hacked.” She told Lee, 48, that she was being blackmailed and needed ransom money, subsequently extorting 300 million won ($255,000) from the actor.

Police investigations later revealed that the supposed “hacker” was Park, a 29-year-old former actor who lived in the same apartment complex and was acquainted with Kim.

Kim, who has six prior convictions related to drugs, was previously arrested and indicted in November of last year for using methamphetamine and marijuana on three occasions. Last month, she was sentenced to one year in prison for these offenses.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun poses for a photo during the Cannes International Film Festival held in Cannes, France, on May 21, 2023. [NEWS1]

Kim’s blackmail against Lee was part of the actor’s drug use case opened by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency in October last year. Lee tested negative in both the initial reagent test conducted by the police and a lab-based drug test conducted by the National Forensic Service.

Lee was found dead while under investigation in an apparent suicide at a park in central Seoul on Dec. 27 last year.

Lee rose to global fame for his lead role in the Oscar-winning 2019 film “Parasite.” He debuted in 2001 through an MBC sitcom and is famed for his roles in multiple Korean films and dramas, such as "All About My Wife" (2012), "A Hard Day" (2014), "My Mister" (2018) and "Kingmaker" (2022).

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]