- Unnamed defendant posed as a scorned ex-girlfriend of the footballer
The sister-in-law of Nottingham Forest striker Hwang Ui-jo was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday for posting explicit private videos of the South Korea international online and trying to blackmail him.
The suspect, who has not been named, was accused of sharing the videos on social media while posing as an ex-girlfriend and accusing him of infidelity.
She posted the videos “knowing that they would be distributed indiscriminately,” the Seoul Central District Court said in a ruling, Yonhap news agency reported.
“The contents have been widely distributed in and out of South Korea… the nature of her crime is very serious,” the court said.
The defendant had strongly denied the allegations leveled against her until the trial, saying there was a possibility her phone had been hacked.
But she later submitted a letter to the judges admitting to the crime and apologizing to the court and Hwang.
Hwang Ui-jo of South Korea celebrates after scoring the first goal during the international friendly match between South Korea and Egypt at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 14, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea
Hwang Ui-jo of Nottingham Forest in action with Geraldo Bajrami of Notts County during the Pre-Season Friendly between Notts County and Nottingham Forest at Meadow Lane on July 15, 2023 in Nottingham, England
The release of the videos also led to a separate police investigation into the Forest player himself, over whether the sexual encounters were filmed illegally and without consent.
Hwang has denied the allegations and prosecutors have yet to acquit or formally charge him.
In her blackmail plot, the defendant alleged that Hwang had slept with several women, including celebrities, and led them to believe he was in a relationship with them, only to later dump them.
She also sent taunting messages to Hwang, saying “it would be nice” if the videos were leaked, according to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
The three-year sentence for Hwang’s sister-in-law was one year less than prosecutors had sought.
The suspect’s admission of the crime and Hwang’s plea for leniency were taken into consideration, the court said.
“I caused great harm to the victims and I sincerely regret what I did,” the defendant said in her final testimony.
Hwang played for several teams on loan from Nottingham Forest, including EFL side Norwich CIty, Greek side Olympiacos and FC Seoul in his native South Korea
The release of the videos also led to a separate police investigation into the Forest player himself, over whether the sexual encounters were filmed illegally and without consent. Hwang has denied the allegations and prosecutors have yet to acquit or formally charge him
The 31-year-old Hwang, who is on loan from Forest to Turkish club Alanyaspor, scored in a World Cup qualifier against Singapore in November.
But the Korean Football Association has since suspended him from the national team pending the outcome of the investigation into the alleged illegal recordings.
The suspension kept him out of the Asian Cup in Qatar.
Hwang scored 19 goals in 62 games for South Korea.
He played for several teams on loan from Nottingham Forest, including EFL side Norwich CIty, Greek side Olympiakos and FC Seoul in his native South Korea.