The sister-in-law of South Korean footballer Hwang Ui-jo has been sentenced to three years in prison for sharing private explicit videos of the athlete online and attempting to extort him.
The defendant, whose identity remains undisclosed, was found guilty of distributing the videos on social media platforms while posing as a former girlfriend and accusing Hwang of infidelity.
Hwang Ui-jo, currently on loan at Alanyaspor, has faced allegations of recording a sexual encounter with his ex-girlfriend without her consent. However, Hwang denies these accusations, which surfaced after his sister-in-law allegedly posted the videos on social media, exposing his private life to the public.
The defendant, who has now been sentenced to three years in prison, was found guilty of posting private explicit videos of Hwang and attempting to extort him, according to the South China Morning Post. The Seoul Central District Court emphasized the severity of her actions, noting that she knowingly disseminated the content, which was widely circulated both within and outside South Korea.
Furthermore, the release of the videos prompted a separate police investigation into the Nottingham Forest striker, focusing on whether the intimate encounters were recorded without consent.
Hwang has consistently denied these allegations, and while prosecutors have yet to formally charge him, the investigation remains ongoing. The sister-in-law’s actions, as determined by the Seoul Central District Court, implicate the serious nature of her offense, as she knowingly shared the videos with the understanding that they would be widely distributed.
Following the court’s ruling, the attorney representing the female victim involved in the explicit video expressed dissatisfaction with the leniency of the sentence, highlighting the lasting impact on the victim’s life.
“The victim will live with the constant fear of being associated with the video,” the attorney stated in remarks to local reporters. While Hwang submitted a letter to waive punishment for his sister-in-law, the female victim advocated for strict punishment against her.
The sister-in-law, who has been detained and indicted for blackmailing and leaking Hwang’s intimate videos, confessed to the court in a handwritten apology on February 20, acknowledging her actions as a form of retaliation against Hwang.
Despite months of denial, she admitted to leaking the videos to teach him a lesson, asserting that her intention was not to harm his career or the woman involved. She claimed to have discovered the video on Hwang’s phone, which she managed and edited it to conceal the woman’s identity.
The defendant’s confession and Hwang’s plea for leniency were taken into account in the sentencing decision. Hwang, who currently plays for Turkish club Alanyaspor, has been suspended from the South Korean national team pending the outcome of the investigation into the allegations of illegal filming. This has affected his participation in major tournaments, such as the Asian Cup in Qatar.
