Civic sports organizations have issued a joint statement criticizing Son Woong-jung, the father of the football star Son Heung-min and director of the Son Football Academy, and the academy’s coaches, who are embroiled in a child abuse controversy, for their severe lack of understanding of rights and child welfare.
They are calling for a thorough investigation into the child abuse allegations and planning a forum to prevent a recurrence.
Although public attention has recently focused on the settlement demands by the parents of the affected children, these groups emphasize that the core issue is “violence within the sports community.”
Lawyers for a Democratic Society and three other civic groups issued a statement condemning the incident and expressing regret that, despite the social consensus on ending violence in sports and the establishment of various protective measures, such incidents continue to occur.
The organizations specifically criticized the justification of violence under the guise of love and discipline.
Son’s representatives had explained that during a training camp abroad in March, the verbal abuse and corporal punishment of youth players was motivated by a foundational love for the children.
In response, the civic groups said, “This excuse is no different from those made by perpetrators in previous repeated human rights 토토 violations in the sports sector. It only proves their severe lack of human rights sensitivity.”