Taxi driver who blackmailed gay passengers in Seoul handed 16 month prison sentence
Lee Ji-hoen told passengers he was 'curious' about men before forcing to them to touch him
By Steve Brown
A taxi driver in Seoul has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for blackmailing gay passengers.
Lee Ji-hoen reportedly picked up drunk passengers from the South Korean capital’s gay district and convinced them to touch his genitals, according to a Seoul Central District ruling.
He reportedly told his passengers that he is ‘curious’ about men and lured them to get into the front passenger seat
After telling passengers that they had sexually assaulted him, he threatened to go to the police if they didn’t pay him.
Overall, according to Yonhap News Agency, he extorted around US$4,238 from his victims.
He was arrested and charged with blackmail last November and another man, who he worked with, was sentenced to one year in prison.
The judge ruled: “The victims seem to have suffered considerable mental damage, but the defendants did not take any action to recover the damage caused nor did they show a genuine attitude of remorse.”
Homosexuality is legal in South Korea, but many people still live in the closet due to the conservative attitudes.