"Do Not Link It to Heung-min's Case"
Plaintiff's Side "Completely Opposed... Hundreds of Millions Are an Expression of Anger"
Son Woong-jung, the father of soccer player Son Heung-min and a coach, was recently sued on charges of child abuse. Son's side stated that the lawsuit was filed because they refused to pay a settlement amounting to several hundred million won.
Soccer player Son Heung-min (left), Son Woong-jung, director of SON Soccer Academy (right). [Image source=Yonhap News, SNS]
On the 27th, Chosun Ilbo reported the positions of Coach Son and the accuser. Son's side claimed that after child A filed a lawsuit on abuse charges, they were asked for a settlement amount, during which they heard remarks like, "How much does it cost to market Son Heung-min's image? Is money that precious?" In response, Coach Son emphasized, "Do not ever link this case to Heung-min." The accuser's side gradually lowered the settlement amount and made several revised proposals, but Son's side insisted on 30 million won, and the final agreement broke down at the end of May. It is known that the usual compensation ranges from 15 million to 30 million won.
Initially, Son's legal representative, Attorney Kim Hyung-woo of Myungnyun Law Firm, tried to raise the settlement to about 100 million won to keep the case from becoming public. However, Coach Son reportedly said, "If what we did was wrong, we will accept punishment," and "There is no need to pay a large sum to settle and create a bad precedent." Regarding the accusation from A's parents that "Coach Son did not apologize," Attorney Kim explained, "Coach Son feared that direct contact or visits would cause greater conflict," and added, "Instead, a few days after the lawsuit, two coaches including Son Heung-yoon visited A and apologized."
However, the victim child's side denied Coach Son's position, stating, "It is completely false that the parents initially demanded a settlement of several hundred million won." They also claimed, "The lawyer from SON Soccer Academy first proposed conditions and pressured for a settlement by raising the amount from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won," and "Therefore, the victim's parents expressed anger by saying, 'Then bring 500 million won,' but they did not initiate the settlement amount." Furthermore, A's lawyer stated, "Coach Son did not apologize at all and, without any contact, proposed conditions through his lawyer including writing a non-prosecution letter, banning media disclosures, and prohibiting disciplinary requests to the Football Association. The accuser's side mentioned the large settlement amount as an expression of anger."
Meanwhile, earlier in March, Coach Son, his son Son Heung-yoon, and two other soccer academy coaches were sued by child A, who was learning soccer at the academy. The accuser claimed that during a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, in the same month, they were hit by coaches in a prone position after losing a match, resulting in swelling and bruises. They also alleged that Coach Son frequently used harsh language, grabbed their neck, and pushed them. However, Son's side explained that they never verbally abused any specific player and that while corporal punishment occurred, it was done in places visible to parents.
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