1. Introduction to the text
This reading lesson discusses the case of a woman who allegedly threatened soccer player Son Heung-min with the disclosure of her pregnancy, as well as a man who attempted to extort money from Son on the same grounds. The article provides details about the suspects, their alleged crimes, and the police investigation.
2. Vocabulary
| Korean Word | Romanization | English Meaning | Contextual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 혐의를 | hyeomui-reul | charges | The woman and man were arrested on charges of blackmail and attempted blackmail, respectively. |
| 아이를 | ai-reul | child | The woman threatened to reveal that she was pregnant with Son Heung-min’s child. |
| 임신했다고 | imesinhaettago | claimed to be pregnant | The woman claimed to be pregnant with Son Heung-min’s child in order to extort money from him. |
| 손씨에게 | son-ssige | to Son (Heung-min) | The woman threatened to reveal her pregnancy to Son Heung-min. |
| 양씨는 | yang-ssineun | the woman (Yang) | The woman, Yang, was arrested on charges of blackmail. |
| 공갈 | gongga | blackmail | The woman was charged with blackmail for threatening to reveal her pregnancy to Son Heung-min. |
| 미수 | misu | attempted | The man was charged with attempted blackmail for trying to extort money from Son Heung-min. |
| 협박 | hyeobpak | threat | The woman threatened to reveal her pregnancy to Son Heung-min in order to extort money from him. |
| 갈취 | galchwi | extort | The woman was accused of extorting over 300 million won from Son Heung-min by threatening to reveal her pregnancy. |
| 각서 | gakseeo | written pledge | The woman reportedly wrote a pledge not to reveal her pregnancy to the public. |
3. The main text in both Korean and English
서울중앙지법 윤원묵 부장판사는 이날 오후 2시 공갈 혐의를 받는 20대 여성 양모씨와 공갈미수 혐의를 받는 40대 남성 용모씨에 대한 구속 전 피의자 심문(영장실질심사)을 열었다.
Judge Yoon Won-muk of the Seoul Central District Court held a pre-trial detention hearing for the 20-year-old woman Yang and the 40-year-old man Yong, who were accused of blackmail and attempted blackmail, respectively.
용씨 역시 ‘수천만원을 추가로 요구한 이유가 무엇인가’, ‘협박을 두 사람이 공모했느냐’ 등 질문에 답하지 않고 법원으로 들어섰다.
Yong also remained silent when asked about his reasons for demanding several tens of millions of won more and whether he and the woman conspired in the threat, as he entered the courthouse.
손씨의 전 연인인 양씨는 지난해 6월 태아 초음파 사진을 보내며 ‘임신한 사실을 폭로하겠다’고 손씨를 협박해 3억여원을 갈취한 혐의를 받는다.
Yang, Son Heung-min’s former girlfriend, is accused of threatening him last June by sending an ultrasound photo and claiming she would reveal her pregnancy, extorting around 300 million won from him.
이후 양씨는 ‘임신 사실을 외부에 알리지 않겠다’는 취지의 각서를 썼다고 한다.
Yang reportedly later wrote a pledge not to reveal her pregnancy to the public.
용씨는 올해 3월 손씨 측에 접근해 7천만원을 받으려다 미수에 그친 혐의를 받고 있다.
Yong is accused of approaching Son Heung-min’s side in March this year and attempting, but failing, to receive 70 million won.
그는 양씨와 교제하며 협박 사실을 뒤늦게 알고 범행한 것으로 알려졌다.
He is known to have committed the crime after belatedly learning of the blackmail through his relationship with Yang.
앞서 지난 7일 손씨의 고소장을 접수한 강남경찰서는 14일 저녁 이들을 체포하고 이튿날 구속영장을 신청했다.
Earlier, Gangnam Police Station, which received Son Heung-min’s complaint on the 7th, arrested the two on the evening of the 14th and applied for an arrest warrant the next day.
4. Reading comprehension questions
- What are the main charges against the 20-year-old woman and the 40-year-old man?
- How much money did the woman allegedly extort from Son Heung-min by threatening to reveal her pregnancy?
- What did the woman reportedly do after extorting the money from Son Heung-min?
- What is the man accused of attempting to do in March of this year?
- How did the man learn about the woman’s blackmail of Son Heung-min?
5. Cultural and historical notes
This case highlights the growing problem of blackmail and extortion targeting high-profile individuals in South Korea. While the details are still emerging, the allegations against the suspects, if proven true, would represent a serious violation of ethics and the law. The case also underscores the need for stronger legal protections and public awareness to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.