Academy and Victims' Claims Clash
Park Ji-sung's Past Remarks Resurface Amid Disciplinary Controversy
Son Woong-jung, the father of soccer player Son Heung-min and the director of SON Soccer Academy, along with two coaches from the academy, have been sued on charges of child abuse. In this context, Park Ji-sung's past revelation of experiencing sports violence at an academy in his autobiography has been brought back into the spotlight. Earlier, on the 26th, it was reported that Son Woong-jung, who runs SON Soccer Academy, and two affiliated coaches were sued on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act. This case has currently been forwarded to the prosecution.
While Director Son apologized and expressed remorse, he also claimed that many of the allegations from the victim's side were not true. Son’s side stated, "We are disclosing the facts without distortion or concealment and are actively cooperating with the investigation," adding, "I swear on everything I have that there was never any behavior or speech without love for the children." However, the victims are also standing their ground against these claims.
In Chapter 3 of the book "Unstoppable Challenge," written by Park Ji-sung in 2006, there is a chapter titled "Violence from Seniors Flying in Every Night." In this chapter, Park Ji-sung revealed, "There may have been reasons for the many seniors who hit me, but in most cases, it was incomprehensible from the perspective of the one being hit." [Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Asia Economy]
As related reports poured in, a post titled "The Reason Park Ji-sung Built a Soccer Center" appeared on the domestic soccer online community 'FM Korea.' This card news-style post contains excerpts from a past interview with Park Ji-sung and passages from the autobiography of his father, Park Sung-jong. The content of the card news is taken from Park Ji-sung’s 2006 book, Unstoppable Challenge, which includes a chapter titled "Violence from Seniors Flying at Night" in its third chapter.
In this chapter, Park Ji-sung wrote, "The many seniors who hit me may have had their own reasons, but from the perspective of the one being hit, most cases were incomprehensible," and "Just because I was a junior, I had to endure the seniors’ baton beatings. The situation where I had to silently endure unjust violence to play soccer was what made it hard for me."
Park Ji-sung continued, "During my school days, after being beaten countless times by seniors, I repeatedly promised myself inwardly. I would never, under any circumstances, hit juniors. And I kept that promise to myself," adding, "If you want to be an authoritative senior, I hope you compete with skill. Authority naturally comes to seniors who excel in both skill and character."
A letter written by Park Ji-sung’s mother, Jang Myung-ja, was also included at the beginning of the book. In her letter, she wrote, "When friends came over to play, there were many times my heart sank seeing my son, who was the shortest," and "I vividly remember your thoughtful self, who came home with bruises from school and shyly smiled saying it happened because you bumped into a friend, worried that tears might well up in your mother’s eyes."
Park Ji-sung’s father, Park Sung-jong, also wrote in his autobiography, "Sometimes Ji-sung said, ‘If I had learned soccer without being hit, I could have been much better at it than now,’" and "This is why my son established the (youth) soccer center. It is so that children no longer have to learn soccer in a violent and oppressive atmosphere but can freely enjoy soccer in a better environment."
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