Two people formally arrested for blackmailing Tottenham’s Son Heung-min

Two people were formally arrested for allegedly blackmailing South Korean football star Son Heung-min with pregnancy claims, officials said Saturday.

The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s on suspicion of extortion and attempted extortion, respectively, according to the officials.

The court cited risks of them fleeing and destroying evidence.

The woman allegedly approached the Tottenham Hotspur captain last June claiming she was pregnant with his child and demanded money in exchange for staying silent.

She reportedly sent Son an ultrasound image of a baby and received over 300 million won (US$215,000).

The man, who is believed to be one of her acquaintances, is also suspected of approaching Son in March and trying to extort 70 million won from him. The man reportedly did not receive any money.

Son filed a complaint with the police last week, claiming she blackmailed him with a false pregnancy claim.

Police have since raided the two individuals’ homes and have confiscated their phones, and plan to further investigate the case, such as checking the authenticity of the ultrasound.