Interview Book Release Commemorative Fan Signing Event Held
Smiling and Responding with Fans in Photos
Son Woong-jung, the director of SON Soccer Academy who was accused of child abuse, held the scheduled fan signing event on the 26th as planned.
'Yonhap News' reported that Director Son visited the Munhakdongnae booth in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul around 3 p.m. that day to conduct the signing event. Earlier that morning, reports emerged that he and the coaching staff of SON Soccer Academy were accused of child abuse, including verbal abuse and corporal punishment of youth players.
At the signing event, fans cheered when Director Son appeared. The media also reported murmurs around the booth such as, "I heard Son Woong-jung published a book, so this must be a signing event."
Director Son greeted fans with a bright expression, signing autographs and taking photos. When a fan approached, he said "Hello," finished the autograph, and then said "Thank you." He also advised fans carrying heavy loads to "leave your bags here." Yonhap News noted that throughout the signing event, he showed no signs of being affected by the accusation reports.
The event was held to commemorate the publication of Director Son’s interview collection titled I Read, Write, and Discard. Kim Min-jung, CEO of the publishing company 'Nanda,' who attended the signing event with Director Son, said, "Since it is the first day of the book fair, there are not many signing events, so it will last about 1 to 2 hours."
Regarding the accusation, she stated, "There is no change in position," and added, "If there is anything to say, it will be disclosed through a lawyer."
Earlier, Director Son issued a statement saying, "I deeply apologize to the children and their families who have been emotionally hurt," and bowed his head, saying, "I am sorry and regretful to the public for causing such controversy."
However, he added, "Many parts of the accuser’s claims differ from the truth," and "The academy is disclosing the facts without distortion or concealment and is actively cooperating with the investigation."
It has been confirmed that Director Son and two coaches, A and B, affiliated with the academy, were accused of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act around mid-April. The victim child, C, filed a complaint on March 19, stating, "On March 9, during training camp in Okinawa, Coach A hit the back of C’s thigh with a stick, causing injuries that required two weeks of treatment."
It was also claimed that the child was ordered to run from the goalpost to the center line within 20 seconds during a set time, and when failing to pass on time, was struck on the buttocks with a stick while in a prone position and subjected to severe verbal abuse, among other harsh treatments.
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