Ahn Sung-hyun, a professional golfer and the husband of Fin.K.L member-actress Sung Yuri, is now headed to South Korea’s Supreme Court despite being acquitted in his second trial. According to legal sources on February 7, prosecutors filed an appeal the previous day, seeking a final ruling from the nation’s highest court.
On February 2, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 13 overturned Ahn’s earlier conviction and found him not guilty of fraud and breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The court ruled that the credibility of key witness testimony was insufficient to prove that Ahn had received illicit benefits in exchange for facilitating cryptocurrency listings.
Ahn had been accused, along with former Bithumb Holdings CEO Lee Sang-jun, of accepting bribes from businessman Kang Jong-hyun in 2021. Prosecutors alleged that Kang provided 3 billion won in cash, two luxury watches, and high-end restaurant membership cards in return for help listing two so-called “kimchi coins” on the Bithumb exchange. Ahn was also accused of deceiving Kang by claiming that Lee demanded an additional 2 billion won urgently, which Ahn allegedly pocketed himself. Investigators further stated that Ahn received luxury goods worth approximately 44 million won, including a designer handbag and premium clothing.
However, the appellate court concluded that Kang’s statements lacked reliability, determining that the luxury watches were purchased and gifted individually rather than functioning as bribes. The court ruled that Ahn should be considered a mediator rather than a recipient in relation to the alleged breach of trust and ordered only the confiscation of one luxury watch, while acquitting him of all other charges.
Ahn had previously been sentenced in December 2024 to four years and six months in prison 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 temporarily suspended her entertainment activities before returning to work in April 2025 through home shopping broadcasts.
Although Ahn successfully overturned his prison sentence with the not-guilty ruling on appeal, the prosecution’s decision to escalate the case means the final outcome now rests with the Supreme Court. Ahn Sung-hyun debuted as a professional golfer in 2005 and served as a reserve coach for South Korea’s national golf team from 2014 to 2018. He married Sung Yuri in 2017, and the couple share twin daughters.
Sources: Nate
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