Son Woong-jung, the father of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. captain Son Heung-min, speaks at a press conference for his latest book at the Francisco Hall in Jung District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Son Woong-jung, the father of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. captain Son Heung-min, has recently published a book titled "I Read, Write and Discard" based on fifteen years of his meticulous reading notes.

The book, a compilation of interviews done by poet Kim Min-jung, spans topics from family life to personal growth.

During a press event Wednesday in Seoul for the book, Son said books are his guide in living, saying, "No one is born with a guide to life, but for me, books have filled that role."

Son, who has read between 200 to 300 books annually over the past 15 years, said, "I've learned that I truly understand a book after reading it three times."

Despite accumulating such a vast quantity of books, he chooses to discard them after writing notes, saying, "My life is quite simple. I found dusting off books cumbersome and somewhat disliked the boastful feeling of 'I've read this much.'"

Son Woong-jung's reading notes/ Courtesy of Ahn Gyu-rim

The books may have been discarded, but the sentences that deeply resonated with him remain preserved in his notes and have seeped into his life.

For instance, Son quoted theologian Peter Laives when describing the current state of his life, saying, "You can buy a house with money, but not a home. You can buy a bed, but not sleep. You can buy a watch, but not time. You can buy books, but not wisdom. You can buy a position, but not respect."

"These are the keywords I consider central in life: home, sleep, time, wisdom, respect, health and death," Son added. "They pack a punch."

His belief in the transformative power of reading extends to every aspect of his life, from parenting to exercising to every moment of human existence.

Empowerment through reading

'I Read, Write and Discard' published by Nanda

Although a voracious reader and a passionate educator of his children, he has never explicitly told his sons, Heung-min and Heung-yoon, to read.

He prefers to lead by example.

"I think if parents demonstrate respect and consideration by reading, the children might pick up a book when they need it," Son said. "When there's absolutely no time to read, I sometimes write down the best parts of my reading notes and leave them by Heung-min's bedside when he is sleeping."

Son named humility as the quintessence of wisdom, which he has gleaned from a lifetime of reading what he metaphorically describes as "five carts of books."

He said he tells Son Heung-min, "Just being good at kicking a ball doesn't make you world-class; character must accompany it."

He added, "Heung-min still has room to grow, both in skill and character. He is not yet world-class."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.