Rent-a-Car CEO Sentenced to Suspended Prison Term for Blackmailing Idol Couple with Dashcam Footage

A rent-a-car business owner, identified as Mr. A, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for extorting money from a girl group member by threatening to release dashcam footage showing her engaging in intimate behavior with a boy group member.

The Incheon District Court handed down the sentence of 8 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, along with 120 hours of community service on April 19th.

Mr. A had rented out a van to the girl group member, Ms. B. After the vehicle was returned, he discovered footage on the dashcam that captured Ms. B and a boy group member in a compromising situation in the backseat.

He then confronted Ms. B, demanding half the vehicle's price, stating, "What were you doing in the backseat yesterday?", "The car cost 47 million won." Fearing the leak of her private life, Ms. B transferred a total of 9,793,000 won to Mr. A over three occasions. However, Mr. A continued to further extort her.

The court acknowledged Mr. A's high degree of culpability, especially since the crime was committed during his probation period. Nevertheless, considering the repayment of the extorted amount and his remorse, the judge decided on a suspended prison sentence.

Korean netizens expressed outrage, commenting, "Blackmailing with dashcam footage is utterly malicious," "Privacy protection for idols needs to be much better," and "It's incomprehensible that he received a suspended sentence instead of actual jail time."