Pro Golfer Ahn Seong-hyeon Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison
[NewsEN Reporter Lee Min-ji] Ahn Seong-hyeon, who is well-known as the husband of singer and actress Sung Yuri, has been sentenced to prison.
The Seoul Southern District Court’s Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Jeong Do-seong) sentenced Ahn to 4 years and 6 months in prison on December 26 for charges including embezzlement and violations of the Specific Economic Crime Act (fraud). The court also ordered the confiscation of two luxury watches he received during the bribery process.
Ahn entered the spotlight in October 2022 amid controversy surrounding Kang Jong-hyun, who is suspected of being the real owner of the cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, as it was revealed that Ahn owned imported luxury cars associated with Kang.
He is accused of colluding with employees responsible for listing cryptocurrencies at Bithumb, allegedly receiving tens of millions of Korean won in bribery from companies in exchange for facilitating their listings. Moreover, there are allegations that he embezzled 2 billion won ($1.7 million) from Kang during the bribery negotiations.
Previously, prosecutors sought a sentence of 7 years for Ahn, requesting that the court impose a fine of 2 billion won ($1.7 million), confiscate two luxury watches, and demand the return of 1.5 billion won ($1.2 million) as proceeds of crime.
Meanwhile, Ahn has been married to Sung Yuri, a former member of the girl group Fin.K.L, since 2017, and they have twin daughters together. Following the controversy surrounding her husband, Sung Yuri halted her professional activities. Earlier this year, she expressed her distress, stating,
“I sincerely pray that the truth behind the unfair and difficult circumstances our family is going through will be revealed.”