|
Singer Lee Seung-chul recently came on the receiving end of a blackmail attempt after opening a package of drugs from a would-be blackmailer who demanded W200 million (US$1=W924). Lee said at a press conference Tuesday, ¡°Many entertainers have received threats and been blackmailed publicly and privately, and I have just been through the same thing. It is regrettable that entertainers are used as bait to extort money.¡±
On opening the package the singer found 10 syringes of drugs, and a demand for W200 million to be sent to a cyber money account. ¡°I immediately reported the incident to the police and had a drug test that came back negative. One month later I met a friend and found out that he had been blackmailed also.¡± Since the incident, Lee has been staying in a hotel with bodyguards around the clock. He said that around five entertainers had fallen victim to the blackmail, but he did not reveal their names.
Meanwhile, the star has been asked to pay W10 million to a fan injured by a water bottle thrown by the singer during a concert last year. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it intentionally, I did it to entertain fans as a part of my performance, but its outcome was unfortunate and I am regretful that a matter that was supposed to be handled privately turned into a civil suit.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
