The image of national team captain Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) has been completely shattered.
The woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s who claimed to be pregnant with Son Heung-min's child and demanded money from him were arrested by police and appeared in court on the 17th. They were charged with extortion and attempted extortion, among other charges, and were detained on the 18th.
The woman involved is reported to have extorted 300 million won from Son in June of last year, claiming she was pregnant with his child. The woman's boyfriend in his 40s additionally demanded 70 million won from Son. Ultimately, unable to endure the situation any longer, Son's side filed a complaint against them for extortion, and the case became publicly known.
Son Heung-min's agency said, "Son is a clear victim." Police are focusing their investigation on whether the ultrasound images presented by the woman during her threats were manipulated.
Although Son Heung-min was threatened, many fans expressed disappointment with him over the incident. This is because it has been revealed that Son had sexual relations with the woman and gave her 300 million won as hush money.
Son's side made the woman write a memorandum on the condition that she would keep the secret. Eventually, it was revealed that the perpetrators did not keep the contents of the memorandum and attempted to disclose Son's private life to the media.
Fans were shocked. This incident is entirely different from the neat image Son Heung-min has shown in the national team and Tottenham matches. Son is a player who enjoys popularity among the public for his clean image. This is also the reason he could appear in dozens of advertisements, including ice cream and razors. No one could have imagined that Son Heung-min would be embroiled in a sexual scandal.
Of course, the act of the perpetrator threatening Son and demanding money appears to be a clear crime. Son is a victim. However, it is also known that Son had a close relationship with the woman.
Fans noted, "Son Heung-min should also be protected in his private life," while expressing surprise at the shocking fact. From the beginning, it was inevitable that Son’s attempt to deal with the perpetrators legally instead of giving them money would impact his image.
"Isn't it true that Son Heung-min had sexual relations with the woman?", "If Son was innocent, why did he give her 300 million won?", and "This is inappropriate behavior for a national team captain," fans commented.
Other fans countered, "Son Heung-min is a person, isn't he allowed to date?", "The perpetrator who threatened Son and committed a crime is the bad person," and "Since Son is not a married man, it shouldn't be socially condemned."
[OSEN]