China detains South Korea footballer in suspected bribery case

South Korea’s Son Jun-ho, who plays in the Chinese Super League, is under investigation for allegedly accepting a bribe, officials say.

South Korea's Son Jun-ho stands prior to the start of the friendly soccer match between South Korea and Cameroon at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea
South Korea's Son Jun-ho appeared in three of South Korea's four matches at last year's World Cup in Qatar [Lee Jin-man/AP Photo]

South Korea midfielder Son Jun-ho has been detained in the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning on suspicion of accepting a bribe, China’s Foreign Ministry has said.

Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that Son was placed in custody “recently” and was under investigation. The South Korean consulate in the provincial capital of Shenyang had been informed of Son’s detention and allowed access to the player as required by international treaty.

Son had been playing for the Chinese Super League’s Shandong Taishan. Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post said the bribery allegations concerned suspected match-fixing involving coach Hao Wei.

“China is a country governed by the rule of law and handles the relevant cases in accordance with the law to protect all the legitimate rights and interests of the parties involved,” Wang told a news briefing.

Wang gave no details on the timing or conditions of Son’s detention, but the Post said he was arrested at an airport with his family on Friday while preparing to leave the country.

Lim Soo-suk, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said his government was providing Son with “necessary consular assistance” through the country’s local missions. He did not provide more details on Son’s situation, citing privacy reasons.

Chinese football has struggled for years to rid itself of a reputation for corruption among coaches, team owners, players, referees and government sports officials.

The league only just restarted after being shut down under pandemic restrictions, teams are in dire financial straits and nearly a dozen high-profile figures have been arrested on corruption allegations, including former men’s national coach Li Tie.

That comes despite a pledge by ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping to invest heavily to turn China into a football superpower. The drive has largely fallen flat, with the men’s national team ranked 81st in the world and professional teams relying heavily on high-priced foreign players to draw audiences.

Son, 31, played seven seasons with South Korea’s Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors before joining Shandong Taishan in 2021 on a four-year contract, according to industry website transfermarket.com. He has played for South Korea 18 times, including at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

A Korea Football Association official said it had reached out to Shandong Taishan, seeking an explanation, but has not heard back.

His club has not commented publicly on Son’s situation, but uploaded a poster wishing him a happy birthday on Friday, the day of his detention.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing a diplomatic source, that Son had been “questioned by public security authorities in Liaoning province while in detention”.

Source: News Agencies