According to Anne Arundel Circuit Court on Aug. 8, 43-year-old defendant Steve Choi admitted to sexually abusing his 17-year-old student on multiple occasions since she was 14.
He had been operating taekwondo centers in Hanover and Glen Burnie.
According to court records, Choi began communicating with the student online in 2019 and continued to meet with her at his taekwondo centers.
Notably, Choi promised the student a scholarship and asked her to keep their meetings confidential.
Choi was initially sentenced to 35 years in prison on 17 charges, including perverted practice, assault and child pornography offenses, but the sentence was later reduced to 11 years. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and a lifetime record as a level 3 sex offender, the most severe tier.
The police had been investigating Choi since October 2021. Choi was arrested in August of last year but was released on $50,000 bail.
He requested a modification request for his sentence four days after the verdict, but a hearing has not been scheduled.
BY KIM YEJIN [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
![Delivery robots in urban areas including LA Koreatown and Hollywood have been involved in a string of incidents, blocking fire engine responses, crossing police lines at active scenes, and colliding with homes and motorcycles. [KTLA • Reddit capture]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0226-delivery-robot-compile-100x70.jpg "Troublesome delivery robots damage gardens, snarl streets")
![Judy Baca, who faces allegations of embezzling $5 million, participates in work on “The Great Wall of Los Angeles” mural in 2023. [Sangjin Kim, The Korea Daily]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0226-nonprofit-1-100x70.jpg "Nonprofit leaders accused of diverting millions meant for the vulnerable")
![A screenshot of the GoFundMe fundraising page created for Kyung Chang Lee. Donations are being collected to support the family of Lee, who was killed in the San Antonio, Texas, shooting. [GoFundMe capture]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0225-KyungChangLee-100x70.jpg "Family of army veteran killed in San Antonio shooting launches fundraiser")
![Downtown Guadalajara in Mexico’s state of Jalisco, which resembled a war zone on February 22 amid arson and other violence by drug cartel members, appears quiet on February 24. The area, usually crowded with tourists and residents, saw a sharp decline in foot traffic and public transportation use. [Pablo Lemus Navarro/X account]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0225-Mexico-100x70.jpg "Cartel leader’s killing sparks unrest, prompts Koreans to reconsider Mexico trips")
