According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, a well-known South Korean soccer star was detained and interrogated in China for over a year on suspicion of bribery. He was freed and traveled back to his own country on Monday.
Chinese police apprehended Son Jun-ho at the Shanghai airport in May; he was a former South Korean national team player who had played professionally in China.
Although the Foreign Ministry has verified Son’s return to South Korea, no more details about his return or the progress of the allegations against him have been published.
Son and his colleagues from the Jinan-based club Shandong Taishan enjoyed a fruitful time together, winning the 2021 Chinese championship. Last year, the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, published an article on bribery claims connected to possible match-fixing. Team coach Hao Wei was named in the accusations.
Son, 31, had a stellar career that included seven years with South Korea’s Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (as reported by transfermarket.com). In 2021, he signed a four-year deal with Shandong Taishan. He also appeared at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as one of South Korea’s 18 national team members.
The crooked nature of Chinese soccer has been a long-standing problem.
While Son was in detention, the ministry said it had demanded a fair and expedited procedure from the Chinese government via many channels. The document did not, however, elaborate on any points raised by the privacy issue.
Son is a midfielder for the Chinese Super League (CSL) champions Shandong Taishan. Not only did they win the 2021 league, but they also won the 2022 Chinese Football Association Cup.
The men’s national team of South Korea, which he proudly represented, also made it to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup.
According to China’s state-run Global Times, since the CSL began in 2004, Son is the only international soccer player to be investigated and jailed.
