A former girlfriend of a male K-pop idol has been handed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for threatening to leak explicit videos to derail his career.
The Seoul Eastern District Court recently ruled against A, who was convicted of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (threats using filmed materials) and property damage. In addition to the suspended sentence, A was ordered to complete 40 hours of sex crime education and is banned from working in child- and disability-related institutions for four years.
According to the court, A dated B, a 26-year-old male idol, from November 2020 to March 2022. After their breakup, A began blackmailing B using sex videos filmed during their relationship.
The first threat occurred on December 10, 2021, when A created a Twitter account using B’s image and texted him a link along with a direct message:
“Quit being an idol. Your only path now is the military. Sue me.”
She also sent an explicit video of the two.
This threat exploited the idol’s profession, knowing that military service marks a hiatus for entertainers and that scandals involving explicit material could be career-ending.
The second threat came on January 4, 2022, with A texting:
“I’ll upload all our pictures and tag you. If you don’t talk to me, I’ll go all out. Sue me. I’ll make a new account and post everything.”
She also caused property damage on December 31, 2021, by throwing and breaking B’s phone during an argument in Gwangju, resulting in repair costs.
The court recognized the severity of the threats, stating:
“These crimes involve using sex videos recorded during a relationship to threaten the victim and obstruct his career. It is a serious offense.”
The court emphasized that B likely suffered significant mental distress, including betrayal, fear, and humiliation exacerbated by his status as a public figure.
However, the court also noted mitigating factors: A admitted to her crimes and expressed remorse, had no prior criminal record, reached a settlement with the victim, and did not distribute the footage, which she later deleted voluntarily.
As such, while sentencing guidelines recommended between one year to 1 year and 9 months in prison, the court issued a one-year sentence with a two-year suspension. A will not have her personal information publicly disclosed, as the court ruled there was insufficient risk of reoffending.
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