Lee Sun-kyun’s alleged blackmailer accused of child abuse

Members of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association head to the Seoul Yeungdeungpo Police Station on Wednesday to file a complaint of child abuse against a woman who allegedly blackmailed late actor Lee Sun-kyun. (Yonhap)

A local civic group on Wednesday filed a complaint of child abuse against the alleged blackmailer of late actor Lee Sun-kyun, saying that the suspect had mistreated an infant by taking the baby to court.

The suspect, recently arrested for extorting 50 million ($38,000) from the world-renowned actor, was seen carrying an unidentified baby when she arrived at Incheon District Court on Dec. 28 for her warrant hearing.

"While appearing in court, (the suspect) brought along a child who had no relation to the case whatsoever. The baby would have felt fear from all the cameras and people... Such behavior constitutes emotional abuse that can cause damage to the child's mental health," the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association said, after filing the complaint against the suspect at the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

The abovementioned suspect, along with the 29-year-old hostess of a high-end bar in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are being investigated for blackmailing the late actor.

Lee, whose prolific career includes starring in Oscar and Cannes award-winning film “Parasite;” art house films such as "Night and Day" and "Oki's Movie;" and popular dramas "My Mister" and "Coffee Prince;" was found dead on Dec. 27 in what appears to be a suicide. The police had been investigating him for alleged illegal drug use.

Throughout the three rounds of police interrogations, Lee maintained that he had been tricked into taking the drugs, and that he did not know what they were. The day before he died, he had requested a polygraph test to determine whether he or the hostess -- who claimed Lee knowingly took illegal drugs -- was telling the truth.

Lee tested negative in both a reagent test during the police investigation and a comprehensive lab-based drug analysis of his hair samples by the National Forensic Service.