CHUNCHEON, South Korea, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) — Son Woong-jung, a football coach and father of Premier League star Son Heung-min, was swiftly indicted on Friday for allegedly abusing young players at his football training center.
Prosecutors in Chuncheon, located about 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, announced that Son and two of his assistant coaches from Son Football Academy, situated in the eastern town, have been fined an undisclosed amount and required to complete a child abuse prevention program.
Unless either the court or the defendants request a public trial following the summary indictment, the prosecutors’ decision will become final.
One of the assistant coaches involved is Son Heung-min’s older brother, Heung-yun.
The trio faces accusations of both physical and verbal abuse towards young players at the football training facility named after Son Woong-jung.
In March, the parents of one player reported the abuse to local police, who then passed the case to the prosecution in April. The parents alleged that their son suffered thigh injuries requiring two weeks of treatment after Heung-yun struck him with a corner flag during a training camp in Okinawa, Japan. They also accused Son Woong-jung of using abusive language towards players during the same camp.
In July, Yonhap News Agency obtained video clips showing Son Woong-jung kicking a player during a match and other coaches verbally abusing players.
Son Woong-jung has denied the allegations, claiming that the accusations against him and his staff are false and asserting that his actions were motivated by care for the players at his academy.
