'Son Ung-jung Lawsuit' Parent: "Never Agreed to Harsh Training"

"Rebuttal to the Statement 'Harsh Training for Children Foreseen'"

Son Woong-jung, the father of soccer player Son Heung-min and director of SON Soccer Academy, has been sued on charges of child abuse. In response, the father of the child involved denied the allegations, stating that "the academy never sought parental consent for harsh training."

"No Consent for Harsh Training or Harsh Language, Also Gaslighting by Coaching Staff"

Coach Son Woong-jung, father of national soccer team player Son Heung-min. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 1st, Mr. A, the father of the victim child, said in an interview with MBN, "I have never seen Director Son Woong-jung before or after registering at the academy, nor have I ever agreed or consented to the students being subjected to harsh training with rough language," adding, "When registering, the staff working at the academy only told me that the director is a bit strict and rough, but there was nothing to worry about."

Earlier, after being sued on charges of child abuse, Director Son stated, "To the parents who wish to enroll their children in the academy, I have said that I will coach the children exactly as I did with my own child, no more and no less, and I have warned them about the harsh training the children will undergo."

Mr. A also claimed that Son Heung-min’s elder brother, Son Heung-yoon, the head coach involved in this child abuse case, committed not only physical abuse but also mental abuse. Mr. A said, "Coach Son uses harsh language just like the director," and added, "What has been revealed so far is just the tip of the iceberg," alleging severe 'gaslighting' by the coaching staff.

"The Recorded Conversation Is an Illegal Recording That Obscures the Essence of the Case"

Regarding the suspicion that Mr. A offered money to Director Son’s legal representative to secure a large settlement, Mr. A denied it, saying, "The conversation was illegally recorded and is an attempt to sway public opinion away from the essence of the child abuse case." On the 28th of last month, a recording of a phone call between Director Son’s legal representative, lawyer Kim Hyung-woo of Myungryun Law Firm, and Mr. A was released. In the call, Mr. A demanded 500 million KRW as a settlement and proposed a rebate, saying to lawyer Kim, "If you get me 500 million KRW, I will secretly give you 100 million KRW." Director Son refused to accept a settlement exceeding 30 million KRW, stating, "If what we did was wrong, we will just accept the punishment," leading to the breakdown of the final agreement. Afterwards, Mr. A’s side leaked photos of bruises allegedly caused by the coach hitting his son to the media.

Director Son’s Side: "There Was Corporal Punishment, but No Verbal Abuse Toward Specific Players... We Reflect on Not Keeping Up with Changing Times"

Meanwhile, Director Son and two other coaches, including Son, were sued in March by a boy named A who was learning soccer at the academy. The boy’s side claimed that during a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, in the same month, he was hit by coaches in a prone position because the team lost a match, resulting in swelling and bruises. They also alleged that Director Son frequently used harsh language, grabbed the back of the neck, and pushed him. However, Director Son’s side explained that they never verbally abused any specific player and admitted to corporal punishment but said it was done in places visible to parents. Later, Director Son’s side stated, "We reflect on the fact that we failed to keep up with the changes of the times and the standards set by law and coached the children only in our own way. We will find other methods to help the children maintain the highest concentration on the field and fully immerse themselves in training."