Ahn Sung-hyun, a professional golfer and husband of Fin.KL member actress Sung Yuri, is now headed to South Korea’s Supreme Court despite being acquitted in his second trial. According to legal sources, on February 7, prosecutors filed an appeal the previous day, seeking a final ruling from the nation’s highest court.
On February 2, the 13 Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court overturned Ahn’s previous conviction and found him not guilty of fraud and breach of trust under the Law on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The court ruled that the credibility of key testimonies was insufficient to demonstrate that Ahn had received illicit benefits in exchange for facilitating cryptocurrency listings.
Ahn had been accused, along with former Bithumb Holdings CEO Lee Sang-jun, of accepting bribes from businessman Kang Jong-hyun in 2021. Prosecutors said Kang provided 3 billion won in cash, two luxury watches and high-end restaurant membership cards in exchange for help listing two so-called “kimchi coins” on the Bithumb exchange. Ahn was also accused of deceiving Kang by claiming that Lee had urgently requested another 2 billion won, which Ahn would pocket himself. Investigators further said that Ahn received luxury goods worth about 44 million won, including a designer bag and high-quality clothes.
However, the appeals court concluded that Kang’s statements lacked reliability, ruling that the luxury watches had been purchased and given as gifts individually rather than serving as bribes. The court ruled that Ahn should be considered a mediator and not a recipient in relation to the alleged breach of trust and ordered only the confiscation of a luxury watch, acquitting him of all other charges.
Ahn was previously sentenced in December 2024 to four years and six months in prison and was taken into custody. He was later released on bail on June 11 the following year. Amid the controversy surrounding her husband, Sung Yuri temporarily suspended her entertainment activities before returning to work in April 2025 through home shopping broadcasts.
Although Ahn successfully overturned his prison sentence with the not guilty verdict on appeal, the prosecution’s decision to escalate the case means the final outcome now rests with the Supreme Court. Ahn Sung-hyun debuted as a professional golfer in 2005 and served as a reserve coach for the South Korea national golf team from 2014 to 2018. He married Sung Yuri in 2017 and the couple has twin daughters.
Sources: Nate
