On the day that national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) finally realized the biggest wish of his professional career, the group that had threatened him using 'pregnancy' as a pretext was arrested.
On the 22nd (Korean time), Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final held in Bilbao, Spain, lifting the championship trophy. Tottenham's captain Son Heung-min marked the end of a 15-year period without a title after first stepping onto the professional stage in the German Bundesliga in 2010, sharing emotional moments filled with tears with his teammates.
However, on the very day Son Heung-min held the long-desired championship trophy and shed tears of joy, the group that had threatened him using 'pregnancy' as a pretext was handed over to the prosecution while in custody.
On this day when Son Heung-min experienced a dreamlike moment, the group that had threatened him regarding 'pregnancy' was handed over to the prosecution while in custody just eight days after their arrest. The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced that they have sent a 20-something woman known as A, identified as Son Heung-min's ex-girlfriend and charged with extortion, and a 40-something man known as B, charged with attempted extortion, to the prosecution.
This incident became known on the 7th when Son Heung-min's side filed a complaint. The police arrested the suspects on the 14th and obtained an arrest warrant on the 17th. In particular, the police focused on securing evidence, including seizing original medical records such as ultrasound photos of the fetus from the hospital A visited on the 21st. This was to rule out the possibility of tampering with medical records and investigate suspicions regarding 'the child's paternity' that are directly related to a 'new phase' of the case.
The shocking details of the case have also emerged. It was confirmed that A had been involved with another businessman, in addition to Son Heung-min, around the same time and had informed both men after receiving a diagnosis of 5 to 6 weeks pregnant. A, who had already decided to terminate the pregnancy, demanded about 300 million won from Son Heung-min, received the amount, and underwent an abortion. Subsequently, B, who developed into A's partner, became involved in the threats, demanding an additional 70 million won under the pretext of a non-disclosure agreement, and Son Heung-min's side decided to file a complaint against A after learning from documents provided by B that it was not possible to ascertain who the child's father was.
While Son Heung-min is clearly a victim in this case, the fact that personal matters such as pregnancy, abortion, and demands for a large sum of money have been made public has already damaged his image. This has been especially saddening given the timing of an unfortunate incident emerging just before his return from injury and an important final for his team.
As a result, while Son Heung-min was able to achieve long-awaited glory, he simultaneously found himself at the center of a highly private and complicated legal battle. The most starkly contrasting moments of joy and hardship in his life unfolded on the same day.
[OSEN]