Son Heung-min's Father Must Pay Fines For Allegations Of Harassment

JAKARTA - Son Woong-jung, Son Heung-min's father and a football coach, were ordered by local court on Friday, October 11, 2024, to pay fines on charges of harassment of young players at his football training center.

The Chuncheon District Court in Chuncheon, about 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, ordered Son Woong-jung, son Son Heung-yun, and other coaches at Son Football Academy to pay a fine of 3 million won ($2,220) each.

The three were also asked to complete a 40 hour child abuse treatment program.

Son and two other defendants were able to appeal the decision and request trial within seven days.

The court's decision comes about two months after prosecutor Chuncheon charged the three coaches.

They are accused of physical and verbal violence against young players at Son Football Academy.

One of the players' parents reported Son and his staff to the local police in March 2024. Police forwarded the case to prosecutors the following month.

The parents claimed that their son suffered an injury in his thigh area requiring treatment for two weeks after Son Heung-yun hit him with a corner flag during a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, in March 2024.

Then, the players' parents also accused Son Woong-jung of using harsh words to the players for making mistakes during the training session at the Okinawa camp.

Son Woong-jung denied that many of the accusations made against him and his staff were not true.

He said that he did nothing that was not based on love for the players at the academy.