Son Heung Min’s Father Charged With Abusing Children At His Football Training Center
Son Woong Jung, a well-known football coach and father of Premier League star Son Heung Min, has been fined by a local court following allegations of child abuse at his training academy.
Son was ordered to pay a fine of ₩3.00 million KRW (about $2,220 USD) on Friday, October 11, alongside his other son Son Heung Yun and another third coach from the Son Football Academy. All three coaches will also have to complete 40 hours of child abuse treatment programs.
The allegations were first raised back in March when the parents of a young player reported Son and his staff to the authorities. They claimed that during a training camp held in Japan, their child had been physically harmed. Specifically, Son Heung Yun was accused of having struck the child with a corner flag, leading to an injury that required two weeks of treatment. Additionally, Son Woong Jung was accused of verbally abusing players, allegedly using harsh language in response to mistakes made during the same training camp.
The ruling comes just two months after prosecutors in Chuncheon indicted the coaches on charges related to mistreatment of young players at Son Woong Jung’s football center. The court also allowed the defendants a seven-day window to appeal the decision and request a full trial.
While the court has found the coaches responsible, Son Woong Jung continues to defend himself, stating that much of what has been reported is untrue. He insists that his actions were motivated by care and a desire to develop the young athletes at his academy.
In the past, Son Heung Min has often opened up about his father’s influence when training to become a footballer. Son has mentioned being forced to keep the ball up for hours when training as a young child.
The coaches have the option to appeal the court’s ruling, which could lead to a formal trial in the coming weeks.
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