Son Woong-jung at book signing event amid child abuse allegations

Son Woong-jung, director of the SON Soccer Academy and father of South Korea national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, attended the Seoul International Book Fair on Wednesday for a book signing event.

Earlier in the day, news broke that Son and two coaches at his soccer academy had been accused of verbally and physically abusing a youth athlete, according to the police. Son appeared as scheduled at the Munhakdonge Publishing's booth in Coex around 3 p.m.

As Son arrived at the signing event, cameras flashed from all directions. Despite the reports of child abuse allegations, Son maintained a cheerful demeanor throughout the event. He greeted visitors with a bright smile, signing books and taking photos. The signing session was held to celebrate the release of his interview book, "I Read, Write, and Discard."

Kim Min-jung, head of the publishing company Nanda, an imprint of Munhakdongne, who attended the event with Son, said, "There is no change in the stance regarding the allegations. Any other statements will be made through (Son's) lawyer."

Following the news in the morning, Son issued a statement, saying that "I would like to express my deepest apologies to the child and his family who were hurt, and I apologize to the public for causing such controversy."

However, he also noted that "many of the claims made by the accuser are not true."