A woman identified as Yang, in her 20s, was charged earlier this year for threatening to publicly disclose a false pregnancy to extort 205,000 USD from Son Heung-min, and subsequently attempted to demand an additional 70,000 USD. A man in his 40s was accused of being an accomplice in the scheme.

Son Heung-min waves to fans after South Korea played Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea on 10/6. *Reuters*

According to Yonhap, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yang to four years in prison, while her alleged accomplice received a two-year sentence. The court stated that the two defendants exploited Son's fame and vulnerability, causing him significant emotional distress.

The court also highlighted that Yang never confirmed the paternity of the child she claimed to be carrying. Son's representatives have not yet commented, but his management previously stated that Son had known Yang, but she blackmailed him with fabricated documents.

Judge Im Jeong-bin emphasized that Yang's actions went beyond a typical blackmail case: "She took extreme measures to tarnish the reputation of the South Korean national team captain, from contacting media outlets to advertising companies, exploiting Son's public figure status."

The revelation of the incident caused Son "significant psychological harm," according to the court.

Son Heung-min celebrates a title after Tottenham defeated Man Utd 1-0 in the Europa League final at San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain on 21/5. *Reuters*

Son is widely regarded as one of Asia's greatest footballers. He rose to prominence at Leverkusen before joining Tottenham in summer 2015. Over a decade with the club, the South Korean forward ranks 5th on their all-time scoring list with 173 goals. He is also one of only seven players to have made over 450 appearances for the team, with 454 matches.

Son won the Europa League with Tottenham in the 2024-2025 season, marking his first title with the club. He is one of 13 captains to have lifted a cup in the London team's history. Son also received FIFA's Puskas Award for his solo wonder goal against Burnley in 2019 and the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2021-2022 season with 23 goals.

In summer 2025, Son transferred to Los Angeles FC in MLS, where he has scored 12 goals in 13 matches this season.

Hong Duy (according to Daily Mail)