Man who demanded settlement from Son Heung-min's father gets suspended term in separate case

A 44-year-old man, who had asked soccer superstar Son Heung-min's father Son Woong-jung for a settlement related to the elder Son's child abuse accusation, recently received a suspended jail term for false accusation and stalking in a separate case.

The appellate division of the Incheon District Court on Nov. 15 upheld an earlier court ruling that sentenced the defendant, surnamed Kim, to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for stalking and false accusation against multiple victims.

Kim was found to have filed for a lawsuit under false claims against an acquaintance, when his account was about to be frozen by the authorities due to his gambling accusations. He was also found guilty of threatening another victim through 103 messages sent via social media between November 2021 and June 2022.

Kim filed a child abuse accusation against Son Woong-jung in March. He said his son had been abused by Son at a youth soccer academy that he runs. Despite elder Son initially denying the abuse, video recordings of the academy showed him repeatedly yelling profanity at the players and kicking one of the players.

Son was ordered to pay a 3 million fine for the child abuse last month by the Chuncheon District Court, after the prosecutors summarily indicted him, his other son Son Heung-yun, and another coach at the academy.