Lee Byung-hun’s two celebrity blackmailers had requested he give them a new house and cash before threatening to release a lewd video of him, prosecutors alleged on Tuesday.
Actor Lee Byung-hun. (KBS)
The 24-year-old model surnamed Lee and 20-year-old Dahee of girl group Glam attempted to blackmail the 44-year-old married man after he turned down the request, according to prosecutors. The women were detained on charges of conspiracy.
The prosecutors said the women were introduced to Lee Byung-hun on July 1 at a dinner gathering. Afterwards, the three met several times for drinks.
The women thought Lee was sexually interested in the model, and conspired to demand new housing and cash in exchange for sexual services, according to the prosecutors.
The prosecution claimed that only two days after the initial encounter, the two agreed and set up the plan to catch the actor and model having a sexual conversation on video, in case he declined their offer.
The two set up a smartphone in a kitchen sink in order to record the model embracing Lee Byung-hun, according to reports. But the model did not have the chance to get into the actor’s arms.
Model Lee asked him to give her a house by saying, “I want to move to a home by myself.” However, the actor later sent her a Kakao Talk message that he did not wish to see her again, prosecutors stated.
Then on Aug. 29, the two women called the actor to the model’s house and threatened him with the lewd video, authorities claimed. The two allegedly showed the actor two large, empty suitcases and demanded that he give them five billion won ($4.7 million) in cash. But the actor refused and reported the case to the police immediately after he left the model’s house.
The two female celebrities allegedly have been financially troubled. The model did not have steady source of income and the girl group member owed about 300 million won to her agency.
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)
