Jeong Dong-won, who was 16 years old at the time, was blackmailed with a video of him driving without a license. Was it his friend who stole his cell phone and demanded 500 million won?

Singer Jeong Dong-won is under investigation for suspected unlicensed driving, a fact that came to light belatedly. Amid this, claims have surfaced that the extortionist who demanded money using the footage as leverage, as well as the informant, were actually Jeong Dong-won's friends.

　On the 12th, the YouTube channel 'Entertainment Insider Lee Jin-ho' posted a video titled 'The Full Story Behind Jeong Dong-won's Unlicensed Driving Issue <The Chilling Identity of the 500 Million Won Blackmailer>'.

　In the video, Lee Jin-ho stated, "In January 2023, in Handong, Gyeongsangnam-do, his hometown, Jeong Dong-won drove a truck owned by his father for at least 10 minutes. It appears one of Jeong Dong-won's friends filmed this.“ He explained the situation, stating, ”As a result, the details became known, putting Jeong Dong-won at risk of legal punishment."

　He argued, “The identity of the blackmailer was none other than one of Jeong Dong-won's friends.” He further added, “The footage filmed at the time remained on Jeong Dong-won's mobile phone, and afterward, Jeong Dong-won moved to Seoul and lived his daily life,” shocking listeners by stating, “The blackmailer was a friend from Seoul who occasionally visited Jeong Dong-won's home.”

　Lee Jin-ho stated, “This acquaintance is suspected of stealing the phone,” and conveyed, “Since Jeong Dong-won had already replaced his phone with a new one, he was unaware the footage had been leaked.”

He also noted, "Although Jeong Dong-won's phone was locked, it remains unconfirmed how the blackmailer bypassed the lock mechanism. However, this acquaintance is believed to have taken Jeong Dong-won's old phone and stolen personal data. The only problematic footage discovered during this process was the unlicensed driving video. The blackmailer reviewed this material and demanded a staggering 500 million won (approximately 50 million yen) from Jeong Dong-won. This acquaintance, along with some of his family members, carried out the crime."

　He added that Jeong Dong-won's agency responded decisively, immediately reporting the incident to the police, which led to the blackmailer's arrest.

He stated, "After the blackmail, the agency immediately reported it to the police, resulting in the arrest of the blackmailer who initiated the crime. The reason this incident became public was that when the extortionist faced legal punishment, he demanded Jeong Dong-won's agreement and leniency. However, when the agency stated ‘there will be no agreement whatsoever,’ the extortionist, separate from his own punishment, raised the issue of Jeong Dong-won's unlicensed driving footage.“ He further speculated, ”Investigative authorities, having secured footage of Jeong Dong-won driving without a license, were in a position where they had no choice but to make a judgment on this matter. It is speculated that this process led to the public disclosure of the incident."

Furthermore, it clarified that reports claiming Jeong Dong-won paid 100 million won to the blackmailer are untrue. After receiving a shocking demand for 500 million won, Jeong Dong-won's side immediately reported the matter to the police.

　Earlier, on the 11th, it belatedly came to light that Jeong Dong-won was under investigation by prosecutors for allegedly driving without a license in Handong, Gyeongsangnam-do, in 2023. While a driver's license can be obtained from age 18, Jeong Dong-won was only 16 at the time.

　This incident surfaced after Jeong Dong-won lost his cell phone. It was revealed that a group of extortionists who found his phone demanded money and valuables, using a short video clip from the phone showing Jeong Dong-won driving a vehicle as leverage.

　Jeong Dong-won's side filed charges against the entire group, leading to the police arresting three individuals. Jeong Dong-won was charged with driving without a license under the Road Traffic Act and was referred to the prosecution in June.