South Korea court issues warrants to formally arrest two for blackmailing Spurs star Son Heung-min
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min at Stamford Bridge, London, on April 3.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SEOUL – A South Korean court issued arrest warrants on May 17 for two people accused of blackmailing Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min.
The accused – a woman in her 20s surnamed Yang and a man in his 40s surnamed Yong – were taken into custody earlier last week, with police seeking court approval for their formal detention.
According to Seoul’s Yonhap news agency and other local media, Yang is reportedly Son’s ex-girlfriend and is alleged to have received 300 million won (S$279,000) in 2024 in exchange for “staying silent” after claiming she was pregnant with his child.
As proof, she is said to have sent Son an ultrasound image.
The Seoul Central District Court issued warrants for the duo late on May 17, citing risks of them “fleeing and destroying evidence”, its spokesperson told AFP, adding that Yang is suspected of extortion and Yong of attempted extortion.
Yong, believed to be Yang’s romantic partner, stands accused of attempting to extort 70 million won from Son in 2025. Son refused to pay and filed a complaint against the pair.
The duo appeared in court earlier on May 17 for the hearing.
Yang – wearing a tracksuit and a face mask – responded to only one question after the hearing, saying “No” when asked whether she had conspired in the blackmail.
The footballer’s agency – Son & Football Limited – alleged earlier last week that the duo “threatened the player (Son) by saying they would spread false information”, and that Son is “unequivocally the victim” in the case.
Police are still investigating the case, including the authenticity of the ultrasound image Yang reportedly sent to Son, based on mobile phones and other items seized during the suspects’ arrest, Yonhap reported.
Son, who also captains the South Korea national team, joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.
But the star – whose team are set to face Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 21 – has come under pressure in 2025 after a series of underwhelming displays.
A win against United in the Spanish city of Bilbao would end Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought and hand the 32-year-old Son his first piece of silverware after a decade at the club.
“Wednesday will be the biggest day of my life. It will be great,” he said.
“We will be excited and I hope we can make history.”
He has scored 173 goals in more than 450 appearances across 10 seasons in north London, sharing the English Premier League Golden Boot in 2021-22 with Liverpool’s Egyptian star Mohamed Salah. AFP, REUTERS
