Two individuals have been taken into custody in South Korea, accused of attempting to extort Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Son Heung-min, by claiming he fathered a child. The Seoul police reported the arrests on Sunday, following a court's issuance of warrants due to the suspects posing potential flight risks.
The woman, in her twenties, allegedly sent an ultrasound image in June of the previous year, claiming she was pregnant with Son's child. To silence her, she purportedly received $214,000. Meanwhile, a man in his forties was also arrested after allegedly attempting to strong-arm Son into paying $50,000 to prevent public exposure of the claims in March.
Son, 32, is highly regarded as one of the finest soccer players in Asia and captains both his club and the South Korean national team. He has garnered massive support in his homeland, with fans and media closely following his endeavors in the English Premier League.
On Thursday, Son's agency publicly requested an investigation by South Korean authorities into the extortion claims labeled as "false." They emphasized that Son is the actual victim in this situation and offered their regrets to his supporters over the scandal.
During a courthouse appearance on Saturday, Ms. Yang, the woman charged, avoided journalists' questions about whether she and Son had a child. Mr. Yong, the man charged, similarly refrained from commenting. Reports suggest that the two suspects were known to each other, although the nature of their relationship remains undisclosed.
It is currently unclear whether Ms. Yang was genuinely pregnant at the time of her claims. Meanwhile, Son has returned to the pitch after recovering from a foot injury and is set to compete in the Europa League final against Manchester United.
