Duo detained as Spurs star Son Heung-min alleges extortion over woman's pregnancy claims

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police said Thursday they are seeking to formally arrest two people who have been detained on suspicion of attempting to blackmail Tottenham captain Son Heung-min.

According to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the 32-year-old English Premier League star filed a complaint with Seoul police after allegedly being approached last June by a woman in her 20s who claimed she was pregnant with his child and demanded money to stay silent.

A man in his 40s was also apprehended on Wednesday.

“The police are currently investigating, so we will let you know the results as soon as they are available,” the player’s agency, Son & Football Limited, said. “We’d like to tell you that Son Heung-min is clearly the victim of this incident.”

Son joined Tottenham in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen and has scored 173 goals in 451 games for the north London club.

Still without a major trophy in his career, the South Korea national team captain is preparing to lead Tottenham in the Europa League final against Manchester United next Wednesday.

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Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Mi, center, battles for the ball with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi (left) and Chris Richards during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Sunday May 11, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min following the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Sunday May 11, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s motorcade took a different route than usual to the airport as he was departing Florida on Sunday due to a “suspicious object,” according to the White House.

The object, which the White House did not describe, was discovered during security sweeps in advance of Trump’s arrival at Palm Beach International Airport.

“A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.

The president, when asked about the package by reporters, said, “I know nothing about it.”

Trump left his Palm Beach, Florida, club, Mar-a-Lago, around 6:20 p.m. for the roughly 10-minute drive to the airport, but took a circular route around the city to get there.

During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade, at one point almost colliding with the vans that accompanied Trump.

Air Force One was parked on the opposite side of the airport from where it is usually located and the lights outside the plane were turned off.

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for U.S. Secret Service, said the secondary route was taken just as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”

President Donald Trump departs Trump International Golf Club in the presidential limousine, known as The Beast, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)