Son Heung-min’s father, brother suspended from coaching for child abuse
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Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min training in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United on May 21.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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SEOUL – The father and brother of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min have been suspended from coaching by the sports authorities of Gangwon province, after the pair and another coach from the father’s youth academy were convicted of child abuse by a local court.
A regional football association recently confirmed a three-month suspension for Son Woong-jung, the father of the Tottenham star and director of SON Football Academy, and a fellow coach of the institution.
This was based on the investigation by the government-affiliated Korea Sports Ethics Centre (KSEC).
Son Heung-yun, the older brother of Heung-min and a coach at his father’s academy, was subject to a longer, six-month suspension.
The punishments are the lowest level of disciplinary actions for those found guilty of violence by coaches, according to regulations of the KSEC.
The committee ruled that the verbal abuse by Woong-jung and physical abuse by the other two occurred without premeditation.
Both parties have requested a reconsideration of the punishment, with the lawyer of the abused youth saying that the abuse took place repeatedly and cannot be considered as actions made on the spur of the moment.
The three officials of the SON Football Academy were each slapped with a 3 million won (S$2,800) fine by the Chuncheon District Court in October, over violating the clause about child abuse in the Child Welfare Act.
The victim told police that he was subject to frequent verbal abuse by Woong-jung but said physical abuse was inflicted by his coaches.
This included Heung-yun hitting the child with a baton during a training camp in March 2024, which supposedly left an injury requiring two weeks of medical treatment.
Woong-jung issued a public apology to the victim and his family, but said that some of their claims were not true. He admitted to coaching the children in a way that was “not corresponding to the standards set by the changing trend and the law”.
Woong-jung, a former player himself, was famous for the harsh upbringing of Spurs forward Son, whose side faced Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 21. The match took place after press time,
In a 2020 interview, he said he “beat up Heung-min a lot” and admitted in his book that his training methods were harsh. It was said that one of the neighbours even reported him for child abuse for what he did during the training of his son.
Son himself has not accused his father of abuse, expressing respect for him and his training methods.
In separate news, Tottenham will play in South Korea as part of their pre-season plans, the club said on May 19, having already committed to a friendly against rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong.
It will be Spurs’ fifth trip to South Korea and they will play in the 2025 Coupang Play Series.
The club said it will release fixture information “in due course”.
Ange Postecoglou’s side play Arsenal on July 31 in Hong Kong in the first north London derby to be contested outside Britain.
The game at the new 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium has sold out. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AFP
