South Korea national football team captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) has faced a significant blow to his 'clean-living man' image due to entanglement in personal life issues. Having maintained a clean and diligent image, he received national support and a hot love call from the advertising industry, making the impact of this incident even greater.

On the 17th, Director General Yoon Won-mook of the Seoul Central District Court held a pre-arrest suspect examination (warrant review) for a woman in her 20s, referred to as A, who is charged with extortion, and a man in his 40s, referred to as B, who is charged with attempted extortion, stating, "There is a concern that evidence may be destroyed and a risk of flight," and issued an arrest warrant.

A, known as Son Heung-min's former lover, is accused of extorting over 300 million won from Son by threatening to reveal the fact that she was pregnant after sending him a fetal ultrasound photo in June last year. It is reported that A wrote a memorandum stating that she would not disclose the pregnancy, and B is accused of attempting to receive 70 million won after approaching Son's side last March. B is said to have committed the crime after realizing the extortion fact belatedly while dating A.

A, who was brought to court in training clothes tied up with ropes, remained silent in response to questions such as, "Do you acknowledge the charges of extortion?", "Do you still claim that you are pregnant with Son Heung-min's child?", and "Do you have something to say to Son Heung-min?".

The case came to light when Son Heung-min's side filed a complaint with the Gangnam police station on the 7th. The police arrested A and B on the evening of the 14th and applied for an arrest warrant the following day. Additionally, they are investigating the authenticity of the ultrasound photos and the facts surrounding the case based on the mobile phones confiscated right after the arrest.

This incident has dealt a catastrophic blow to Son Heung-min's image, who has been perceived as a 'flawless player' with thorough self-management and no personal life issues. Son has been active as a model for numerous advertisements across various fields in South Korea, including ice cream, razors, telecommunications, ramen, massage chairs, and hamburgers, proving that his clean and positive image has been commercially recognized for its great value. With the trust he built now shaken by personal life-related issues, the advertising industry is also on high alert.

In addition, major foreign media outlets, including the UK Guardian and CNN, have reported on the seriousness of this incident in light of Son Heung-min's international reputation. Fans and media abroad, who have known of his clean image, have also expressed surprise.

Compounding the situation is the unfortunate timing of this matter, which is critical for Son Heung-min's career. The incident erupted just as he had returned after missing a month due to a foot injury, and it comes at a crucial time ahead of Tottenham's challenge for their first title since 2008 in the UEFA Europa League final.

Currently, the perpetrators are under arrest and being investigated; however, as the details of the case have become public, Son Heung-min is facing a significant backlash in terms of image, despite being a legal victim.

[OSEN]