Woman who sought $20 million from Celine Dion’s husband released

By Cy Ryan

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 | 12:02 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The state Parole Board has agreed to release a woman convicted in Las Vegas of trying to extort $20 million from the husband of entertainer Celine Dion, saying she was raped.

Board spokesman David Smith said it determined that Yun Sung, 54, wouldn't be a threat to society and she will be freed from the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center in Las Vegas around Aug. 2.

Smith said there were “holds” on her from Clark County officials and from the immigration service.

Her husband, Ae Kwon, was released from prison last year.

Sung was convicted of trying to extort $20 million in 2003 from Rene Angelil, the husband of Celine Dion. She had already been paid $2 million.

Sung and her husband filed suit accusing Angelil of raping her at the Imperial Palace. He denied the allegation but paid Sung the $2 million in 2000 to keep her quiet about an accusation about him fondling her.

Angelil’s lawyer said the money was paid to avoid the ill effects of the publicity on Angelil’s health during chemotherapy treatment and the impact on his wife during pregnancy.

Sung was sentenced to one to four years on the extortion conviction and a consecutive three to five years on the charge of a witness accepting a bribe. She had been discharged on the extortion conviction in 2007 to begin serving the second term.

At the time of sentencing in January 2005, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office said Sung had previous shoplifting arrests in California and there was a pending case against her alleging fraud at a Las Vegas area casino.