It has recently been disclosed that a man in his 40s who had sought money from national soccer team captain Son Heung Min had been in contact with JTBC’s 'Crime Chief' around a month ago. When asked for evidence by the production team, he abruptly cut off communication and disappeared.
The 'Crime Chief' revealed on May 16 that the man had provided the tip-off on the 21st of the previous month. Without directly mentioning Son Heung Min, he described the individual as a “current Korean national team player in Europe,” making negative remarks like, “It’s outrageous what this national team player is involved in,” and “I'm sharing this information to bring consequences upon them.”
During a conversation with the production team, the man claimed, “I stumbled upon a particular file on my girlfriend’s phone,” alleging that it contained screenshots indicating substantial money transactions, a handwritten confidentiality agreement, and a document signed with thumbprints from both parties. He further stated, “She informed me of having undergone an abortion and drafted the agreement to keep it under wraps. This incident occurred last June.”
He elaborated, “Due to the confidentiality agreement, I interacted with (Son Heung Min’s) agency. The breach of confidentiality was pegged at 3 billion KRW (approximately 2.2 million USD) with no set expiry date,” and mentioned, “I requested a revision of the agreement, but they declined, leading to the breakup with my girlfriend over this issue. I feared that it might also impact me negatively if left unchanged. My intention was not merely about seeking money.”
However, there are doubts raised regarding a third party, not directly involved, who aims to alter the agreement and later files a report out of retaliation for being turned down.
The man stated that he possessed evidence such as KakaoTalk messages and medical records. Nevertheless, upon the production team's request for these proofs, he ceased all communication and vanished.
Son Heung Min’s camp mentioned, “Since the issue was resolved last June, we have had no further contact with the woman implicated,” and added, “However, from the beginning of March, a man started issuing threats.”
As per Son Heung Min's side, the man declared, “My girlfriend was pregnant with Son Heung Min’s child,” and threatened to go public with this assertion while demanding 70 million KRW (around 50,000 USD).
Son Heung Min's manager endured the threats for several months before eventually informing Son. Son Heung Min allegedly responded by saying, “Let's halt these fabricated accusations and take decisive action,” leading to legal measures being initiated.
It is reported that Son Heung Min did not pay the man, who has a record of similar offenses.
Son Heung Min's camp admitted that he had dated the woman previously but refuted all allegations of pressuring her for an abortion or any connected charges.
They clarified that they attempted to engage in a discussion with the woman to elucidate the facts, but she declined and demanded 300 million KRW (around 214,000 USD). Due to concerns that the spread of false allegations could greatly impact Son Heung Min's performance, they had no option but to address the extortion attempt.
Currently, the police are investigating both the man and the woman on charges of attempted extortion and extortion, and have applied for arrest warrants.