A female BJ, referred to as A, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial for extorting hundreds of millions of won from singer and musical actor Kim Junsu (stage name Xia Junsu) has acknowledged her wrongdoing during the appeal trial. However, she pleaded for leniency, claiming that the sentence was excessive.
On the 10th, the 10-1 Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court held the first hearing of the appeal regarding A's violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (blackmail).
In her final statement, A said, "I sincerely apologize and seek forgiveness from the victim who has been hurt and is suffering because of me," adding, "I swear that I will never cause the same harm to the victim again, even if it costs me my life." She also expressed her desire to live a life contributing to society while apologizing to the victim for the rest of her life, stating, "I will not repeat the same mistakes."
A's lawyer requested a reduction in the sentence, stating, "The defendant acknowledges her crime and is remorseful."
A is accused of blackmailing Kim Junsu 101 times from September 2020 to November last year, extorting goods worth 800 million won. It is reported that A recorded conversations with Kim Junsu for illegal purposes and threatened to distribute them on social media.
Previously, the first trial court sentenced A to 7 years in prison. The prosecution requested the same sentence of 7 years in the appeal trial and asked for A's appeal to be dismissed.
In relation to this, Kim Junsu's side stated, "Kim Junsu has never committed any illegal acts," and added, "A continued this blackmail because Kim Junsu is a celebrity, exploiting public attention, and even though the accused recognized that Kim Junsu had done nothing wrong, she did not stop her actions, taking advantage of his status as a celebrity."
The sentencing date for A's second trial is set for May 1.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
