Korean Car Rental Owner Jailed For Blackmailing K-Pop Idol With Intimate Video Recorded In Van, More Details Inside

Korean Car Rental Owner Jailed For Blackmailing K-Pop Idol With Intimate Video Recorded In Van

In a disturbing turn of events, a K-pop idol was subjected to blackmail after intimate footage of her and a male idol was discovered by a car rental owner. The incident has raised serious concerns about privacy and exploitation within the entertainment industry. As per recent reports, the female idol had rented a van from a car owner identied as ‘A’  in February 2024. Read to know more about it here!

Here’s What Happened!

As per Koreaboo, Upon returning the vehicle, ‘A’ reviewed the footage from the in-vehicle camera and found scenes of the idol engaging in intimate behavior with a male idol in the backseat. Seizing this opportunity, “A” initiated a series of threatening messages to the female idol, demanding that she pay half of the van’s cost, approximately ₩47.0 million KRW (about $33,100 USD). Under duress, the idol transferred a total of ₩9.79 million KRW (about $6,890 USD) to “A” over three separate occasions. Despite these payments, the threats persisted, prompting the victim to report the extortion to authorities.

On October 18, 2025, the Incheon District Court sentenced ‘A’ to eight months in prison with a two-year probation. Additionally, “A” was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service. The court acknowledged the severe emotional distress caused to the victim and deemed the actions as blackmail and abuse of personal information. However, the ruling also considered that most of the extorted money had been returned to the victim. While the identities of the involved idols have not been publicly disclosed, netizens have begun to speculate. However, without concrete evidence, these remain unconfirmed assumptions.

Also Read: World Mental Health Day: From BTS RM To TWICE’s Jeongyeon, 5 K-pop Idols Who’ve Openly Talked About Personal Struggles!

This case underscores the critical need for enhanced privacy protections for public figures and serves as a stark reminder of the potential for exploitation in the digital age.

Also Read: LE SSERAFIM’s Chaewon Faces Heat For Asking Media To Write Good Articles About All K-Pop Idols

Meghna Rajpal: Patriarchy's worst nightmare (with a cute smile). An introvert walking around with Bollywood Music in the background who will avoid meeting you in public. I write about pop culture, fashion, and everything controversial.