The manager of an illegal hostess club, who extorted approximately 300 million won (about $215,000) from the late actor Lee Sun Kyun, has been released on bail.
The Incheon District Court granted bail to the club manager on June 26th, according to legal sources on July 3rd. She had been indicted on multiple charges, including money extortion.
The court reportedly approved bail in anticipation of the manager’s detention period expiring before the appellate sentencing hearing set for July 16th. As a result, she was released from the Incheon Detention Center.
In Korea, detention during the appeals process can be extended up to three times, for two months each. In this case, the manager’s detention was extended the full three times, from December 31st last year to May 8th.
She was arrested and indicted in September 2023 for extorting 300 million won from Lee Sun Kyun. At the time, she allegedly called Lee and claimed that a hacker had hacked her phone and was blackmailing her for money to stay quiet.
The “hacker,” later identified as a former actress, reportedly knew the manager personally and also lived in the same apartment complex. She was aware of the manager’s history of drug use and her ties to Lee Sun Kyun. She impersonated a hacker using an illegal USIM chip to extort the manager, who then turned to Lee for money.
Both women were convicted in their first trial in December of last year. The manager received a sentence of three years and six months in prison, while the former actress was sentenced to four years and two months. Both have appealed the ruling and are currently undergoing their second trial.
Prosecutors have requested the appellate court to uphold their original sentencing recommendations, seven years in prison for both women.
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