Son Woong-jung "Opposed to Son Heung-min Street... Will Live an Ordinary Life After Retirement"

Gangwon-do Superintendent of Education: "Son Heung-min is Chuncheon’s pride... Large mural is famous"

Son Woong-jung, the father of Son Heung-min, the first Asian to win the EPL Golden Boot, and director of Son Football Academy, opposed the creation of "Son Heung-min Street."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Son Woong-jung (60), director of Son Football Academy and father of Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham), the top scorer of the 2021-2022 English Premier League (EPL) season, opposed the creation of the 'Son Heung-min Street.'

On the 12th, during a visit to the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education, when Superintendent Shin Kyung-ho said, "I hope a Son Heung-min Street is established in Chuncheon," Son said, "There have been talks about this for several years, but I have consistently insisted that it is 'not appropriate.'

He added, "When Heung-min retires, he will live an ordinary citizen's life, so I am very cautious. I don't know who will call his name after retirement."

Superintendent Shin praised Son, saying, "The large mural of Son Heung-min painted in Chuncheon is so famous that even outsiders visit it," and "Son Heung-min is the pride of Chuncheon."

Large mural of Son Heung-min painted in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Photo by Yonhap News

Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, is Son's hometown, and recently a large mural measuring 10 meters by 10 meters featuring Son was created at Palho Square in Chuncheon, attracting attention.

At the event, Director Son expressed difficulties regarding the balance between sports and academics for students at Son Academy. He said, "Many children aim to go abroad, so studying foreign languages is essential," adding, "Parents formed a cooperative to invite external instructors, and the academy only provides space to teach English, German, Japanese, Spanish, as well as history."

He continued, "We also considered converting to an alternative school, but the conditions were too strict and difficult to meet, so we eventually gave up halfway," confessing, "I really want to do it for the children, but it is beyond our capability."

In response, Superintendent Shin said, "Recreational sports and elite sports must go hand in hand," adding, "I shared the issue of student-athletes being restricted to weekend competitions due to the number of school days with education superintendents nationwide, and I plan to meet with sports officials from each education office soon to discuss this publicly."

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min has joined the Tottenham squad currently on a preseason tour in Korea and is preparing for matches against Team K League on the 13th and Sevilla on the 16th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.