Suspension of Tottenham's Son Heung-min's Father Overturned

The three-month suspension imposed on Son Heung-min's father, Son Woong-jung, a coach accused of abusing youth players, has been revoked. On May 28, the Gangwon Provincial Sports Council convened a Sports Fairness Committee to reassess disciplinary actions against coaches at the SON Football Academy, who were implicated in physical and emotional abuse of youth players last March. The council determined that Son Woong-jung's suspension was invalid as he registered as a coach only in April, after the incident occurred. They stated, 'The actions leading to the suspension occurred before his registration with the Korea Football Association, thus relevant regulations cannot be applied.' Attorney Ryu Jae-yul, representing the victim, expressed disbelief that Son had operated the academy for years without proper registration while coaching youth players and participating in competitions as a registered coach.

In contrast, the suspensions for head coach Son Heung-yoon and assistant coach A have been confirmed, with Son receiving a six-month ban and A a three-month ban. Both coaches are barred from participating in any events organized by the sports council and related organizations until their suspensions are completed.

Previously, in April, the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Football Association's Sports Fairness Committee decided on the three-month suspension for Son Woong-jung and A, following an investigation by the Sports Ethics Center under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The committee deemed the penalties to be the lowest level of disciplinary action for violent conduct. The victim's attorney and the three coaches, including Son Woong-jung, have appealed the disciplinary decisions.

The incident originated during a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, last March, where a student reported being assaulted by head coach Son Heung-yoon and subjected to severe verbal abuse from Son Woong-jung and others for mistakes made during training and matches. In October, the Chuncheon District Court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 3 million won on each of the three coaches for child abuse under the Child Welfare Act and mandated completion of a 40-hour child abuse treatment program. The Sports Ethics Center concluded in February that the three coaches had engaged in violent misconduct, prompting a request for disciplinary action against them through the Korea Sports Council by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In response to the controversy, Son Woong-jung expressed his deep apologies to the affected child and their family, while asserting, 'I swear on everything I have that there was never any behavior from the academy coaches that lacked love for the children.'