Son Heung-min’s agency vows ‘no leniency’ in response to blackmail attempt

Son Heung-min / Xportsnews

Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min is taking legal action against individuals who allegedly attempted to blackmail him with false claims, including a fabricated pregnancy.

On Thursday, Son’s agency, Son and Football Limited, released an official statement in response to an ongoing investigation into the case. “We are sharing our position regarding the progress of the investigation following a complaint filed for blackmail,” the agency said.

According to police, Son filed a criminal complaint earlier this month, accusing a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s of trying to extort money from him by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station confirmed that it received the complaint on May 7 and is currently investigating the two individuals on blackmail charges.

The agency said the suspects had threatened to spread false information unless they received a large sum of money. “Son and Football Limited has filed a police report against the individuals who threatened to spread false information about our player,” the agency said. “We will pursue strong legal action with zero tolerance and ensure that they are punished without leniency. Son Heung-min is clearly a victim in this matter.”

The agency also apologized to fans. “We sincerely apologize for the concern this unfortunate incident has caused to those who support Son Heung-min.”

The incident comes just as Son prepares for one of the most important matches of his career. Tottenham recently advanced to the final of the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League, defeating Norway’s FK Bodø/Glimt with an aggregate score of 5–1 after a 2–0 away win on May 9.

Tottenham will face Manchester United in the final, which will take place on May 22 at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain. The club is aiming to win its first major trophy in 17 years, following its League Cup victory in the 2007–08 season. A Europa League title would also secure a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

For Son, the final could mark a career milestone. Since joining Tottenham in 2015, the South Korean forward has scored countless goals and become a club legend — but he has yet to lift a major trophy. If Tottenham triumphs, it would be his first major title.

Son recently returned from a foot injury that had kept him off the field for a month. News of his injury emerged when he was left out of the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 13.

At the time, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou described the injury as a bruised foot and opted to rest him out of caution. However, the injury turned out to be more serious than initially expected.

Son made his return on Monday during a Premier League match against Crystal Palace, coming on as a substitute and playing 32 minutes.

In a postmatch press conference, Postecoglou said Son is physically in good shape and added that those minutes were important for him — more psychologically than anything else.

With about a week remaining before the Europa League final, Tottenham will face Aston Villa on Saturday in their final Premier League away match of the season. Postecoglou plans to use the match to assess Son’s condition and decide whether he will start in the final against Manchester United.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.