South Korean football star Son Heung-min targeted in fake baby blackmail plot, 2 arrested
The pair allegedly demanded millions of won to stay quiet about the fabricated claims involving the national football icon
A woman and a man have been arrested in South Korea for allegedly trying to extort millions of won from Son Heung-min – the national team captain and one of Asia’s most celebrated footballers – by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child and demanding money to keep the story quiet.
The Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct said on Thursday that it was investigating a woman in her twenties for extortion and a man in his forties for attempted extortion, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper.
The woman is alleged to have first approached Son in June last year, claiming she was carrying his child and demanding several hundred million won – equivalent to hundreds of thousands of US dollars – in return for her silence. Her acquaintance reportedly followed up in March, contacting Son’s representatives in a further bid to extract money.
Son’s representatives filed a police complaint alleging blackmail on May 7, calling the pair’s claims “entirely false”. His agency, Son & Football, said it would pursue “strong legal action without leniency”.
The pair “threatened the player by saying they would spread false information”, the agency alleged. “We stress that Son Heung-min is unequivocally the victim in this case.”
Son, 32, is one of South Korea’s most recognisable public figures, widely admired for both his achievements on the pitch and his disciplined, scandal-free image. He currently plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, where he also serves as captain, and has a devoted fan base in both South Korea and the United Kingdom.
He has previously spoken about his decision to remain single during his playing career to focus entirely on football. In a 2019 interview with British newspaper The Guardian, he explained that marriage would inevitably shift his priorities.
“My father says this and I agree, as well. When you marry, the No 1 will be family, wife and kids, and then football. I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be No 1,” he said.
“You don’t know how long you can play at the top level. When you retire, or when you are 33 or 34, you can still have a long life with your family.”
While his dating life has occasionally drawn media scrutiny – including past relationships with K-pop stars such as Yoo So-young and unconfirmed rumours linking him to Blackpink’s Kim Ji-soo – Son has largely kept his personal affairs out of the spotlight.
He had hinted earlier this year that he might be nearing retirement, but in January, Tottenham announced they had extended his contract until 2026.
