Rental Car Owner Sentenced in Blackmail of Idol Couple
Seoul, South Korea – The owner of a rental car company has been sentenced to eight months in prison, with two years of probation and 120 hours of community service, after blackmailing a female idol over dashcam footage showing her in a private encounter with a male idol. The sentencing, handed down by Judge gong Woo Jin on October 18, concludes a case that sparked widespread concern over privacy violations and the exploitation of celebrities.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of public figures to privacy breaches and the potential for abuse of personal data. While the victim has received a degree of justice, the case raises questions about the security of in-vehicle recording devices and the legal protections available to individuals whose intimate moments are captured without their explicit consent. The outcome may prompt increased scrutiny of dashcam regulations and a renewed focus on protecting the privacy of individuals within vehicles.
According to legal sources, the rental car owner, identified as “A,” rented a van to the female idol in February of last year. Upon the van’s return,”A” discovered dashcam footage depicting the idol engaging in physical intimacy with a male idol.
“A” later attempted to extort money from the female idol, initiating contact with a text message questioning her actions within the vehicle: “What did you do in the back seat of the car yesterday? Didn’t you go too far?” The blackmail escalated with threats to reveal the footage, referencing the male idol’s group and stating, “If you won’t admit it even after I’ve said this much, then I’m left with no choice.” ”A” initially demanded half the vehicle’s purchase price of 47 million won (approximately $33,058).
Despite two payments from the victim, “A” continued the blackmail scheme, repeatedly threatening to release the footage unless further funds were provided. The victim ultimately paid a total of 9.793 million won (approximately $6,888) in three installments.
While acknowledging that “A” was already on probation for a prior offense, Judge Gong Woo Jin considered mitigating factors in the sentencing, including the defendant’s admission of guilt, expression of remorse, and the return of most of the extorted money to the victim.
