China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed they have detained a South Korean footballer in connection with a bribery case.
According to reports, 31-year-old Son Jun-ho is currently in police custody in Liaoning province in northeast China after being arrested from Shanghai airport on Friday.
The arrest came amidst a concerted effort by Chinese authorities to crack down on corruption and match-fixing within the country’s football industry.
Diplomats from South Korea are scheduled to meet with Son to ascertain the specific charges he is facing.
The South Korean foreign ministry stated that its embassy in China is offering consular assistance to Son, but refrained from providing further details.
In recent months, China has arrested multiple football officials on allegations of misconduct.
Son relocated to China’s Shandong province in 2021, where he played as a midfielder for Shandong Taishan, a team that emerged victorious in the Chinese Football League that year.
Notably, his current teammates include former Manchester United and Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Son has represented his home country in 20 international matches, including the FIFA World Cup held last year.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) has expressed its efforts to obtain an explanation from Shandong Taishan, but has yet to receive a response from the club regarding the detention of Son Jun-ho.
The Chinese football landscape has long been plagued by accusations of bribery and match-fixing, and the recent apprehensions of prominent football figures have dealt a significant blow to the country’s football aspirations.
In February, just as stadiums were beginning to reopen following Covid-related lockdowns, Chen Xuyuan, the president of the Chinese Football Association, was detained on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and the law.”
This marked the fourth known instance of a senior football official being investigated within a span of less than three months.
Furthermore, last November, Li Tie, a former national coach and one of China’s most prominent footballers, also became the subject of an investigation for “serious violations of the law.”
The issue of match-fixing has also stirred controversy in South Korean football. In a recent development, the entire executive board of the Korea Football Association resigned after attempting to grant pardons to approximately 100 individuals who had been banned from the sport due to involvement in match-fixing and other offenses.
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