A South Korean court issued arrest warrants on Saturday for two people accused of blackmailing Tottenham Hotspurs captain Son Heung-min.
The accused — a woman in her 20s surnamed Yang and a man in his 40s surnamed Yong — were taken into custody earlier this week with police seeking court approval for their formal detention.
According to Seoul’s Yonhap news agency and other local media, Yang is reportedly Son’s ex-girlfriend and is alleged to have received 300 million won (US$ 214,112) last year in exchange for “staying silent” after claiming she was pregnant with his child.
She is said to have sent Son an ultrasound image of the alleged foetus.
The Seoul Central District Court issued warrants for the duo late Saturday, citing risks of them “fleeing and destroying evidence,” its spokesperson told AFP.
Yang is suspected of extortion and Yong of attempted extortion, he added.
Yong, believed to be Yang’s romantic partner, stands accused of attempting to extort 70 million won from Son this year. Son refused to pay and filed a complaint against the pair.
The duo appeared in court earlier Saturday, both bound with a rope for the hearing.
Yang — wearing a tracksuit and a face mask — only responded to one question after the hearing, saying “No” when asked whether she had conspired in the blackmail.
The footballer’s agency, Son & Football Limited, alleged earlier this week that the duo “threatened the player (Son) by saying they would spread false information”, and that Son is “unequivocally the victim” in the case.
Police are still investigating the case, including the authenticity of the ultrasound image Yang reportedly sent to Son, based on mobile phones and other items seized during the suspects’ arrest, Yonhap reported.
Son, who also captains the South Korea national team, joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.
But the star — whose team, Tottenham, is set to face Manchester United in the Europa League final — has come under pressure this year after a series of underwhelming displays.
