The woman spent the money on luxury and designer goods, AFP news agency reported.
“[The woman] insists she received the money as compensation and portrays herself as a victim,” prosecutors told the court on Monday. “But her claims do not fully match the facts,” they said, accusing her of planning the crime “thoroughly”.
The woman’s accomplice, who had threatened Son 15 times to get the money, was handed a two-year jail term for attempted blackmail.
When they demanded more money this year, Son went to the police.
The judge said the woman and her accomplice had abused Son’s celebrity for their crime, and that Son appeared to have gone through “intense mental anguish” after the case was reported in the media.
Son was in October named the second-highest paid footballer in Major League Soccer (MLS), North America’s top-tier football league akin to England’s Premier League.
In August, the 33-year-old left Tottenham after 10 years of service to join the Los Angeles Football Club, marking the most expensive transfer in MLS’ history.
Widely regarded as one of Asia’s best football stars, Son enjoys huge popularity in his home country and the region.
In 2022, while he still with the Spurs, he became the first Asian to win the Premier League’s golden boot award presented annually to the leading goal scorer in the league.
Additional reporting by Kelly Ng
