South Korean Soccer Player Son Jun-ho Detained in China for Bribery

Son Jun-ho detained by public security agencies for bribery of non-state workers
Chinese media say Son Jun-ho could face up to five years in prison
Son Jun-ho’s detention case could lead to a crunch in sports exchanges between Korea and China

[베이징=박신희 특파원] Concerns are growing that Korea-China sports exchanges may be strained in connection with the recent detention of South Korean men’s national soccer player Son Jun-ho by Chinese police.

Son Jun-ho’s detention has nothing to do with the recent sweeping winds of the Chinese soccer world. In China, public opinion is at its worst due to the failure to qualify for the World Cup finals in Qatar last year and manipulation of the final match at the Guangdong Provincial Sports Festival in August last year.

Shandong Taishan coach Hao Wei (伟偉), where Son Jun-ho plays, was also recently detained on suspicion of match-fixing and is under investigation by the Chinese public security.

In this regard, on the 12th, a reference investigation was scheduled for the entire Shandong Taishan team, but when Son Jun-ho tried to leave the country that day, the Chinese public security officers arrested Son Jun-ho at the airport, believing that he was fleeing due to being involved in corruption by the manager. Local media reports follow.

Son Jun-ho was arrested and detained by the police prior to departure preparations at Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai on the 12th, and is being investigated by the Public Security Bureau in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, who said he did not know about Son Jun-ho’s detention, said at a regular briefing on the 16th, “We recently confirmed that a South Korean national was detained in accordance with the law by public security agencies in Liaoning Province for bribery of non-state officials.” revealed

Amid the aftermath of intense match-fixing in the Chinese soccer world, there is a high possibility that Hao Wei, the coach of Shandong’s Taishan soccer team, to which Son Jun-ho belongs, and the players will be involved in the match-fixing case and will be investigated by the police, and Son Jun-ho’s arrest can also be related to this.

However, Son Jun-ho’s agent strongly denies the allegations, saying that considering Son Jun-ho’s status in the Chinese league and his status as a midfielder, there is no possibility that he participated in match-fixing.

Wang Yi, a Chinese Internet media outlet, reported that the Korea Football Association is seeking to rescue Son Jun-ho, and the Korea Football Association plans to dispatch experts to coordinate and communicate. Since it is a significant loss, it was reported that Korea hopes that Son Jun-ho’s bail or probation will allow him to continue his career as long as possible.

Wang Yi said that considering that Son Jun-ho was detained, Chinese public security must have already secured complete evidence, and as Sun Shi, a former Chinese national team player, was sentenced to 6 years for the same charges last time, Son Jun-ho could almost retire early. He was told that the sentence could be handed down at trial.

Chinese media Sina.com recently quoted Chinese legal experts and predicted that “Son Jun-ho could be imprisoned for up to five years.”

Professor Yinbo of China University of Political Science and Law said, “The crime of accepting bribes for non-state operatives is an act of extorting or illegally accepting other people’s property and seeking profit, which is a violation of Article 163 of the Criminal Law.” He could be sentenced to prison.”

The consulate in Shenyang said on the 17th that the consulate general had interviewed Son Jun-ho for an hour on the morning of the 17th, told him that he would spare no consular cooperation, and requested a quick and fair investigation by the Chinese public security department.

Meanwhile, Son Jun-ho’s side has already appointed a lawyer, and the lawyer is known to help with the investigation.

Son Jun-ho, who started his professional life by joining the Pohang Steelers in 2014, won a gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and moved to Shandong Taishan in 2021. Son Jun-ho also represented Korea at the World Cup in Qatar last year.

It is still unclear whether Son Jun-ho is a reference person or a suspect. It is unknown whether this case will simply end in a happening or lead to Son Jun-ho’s arrest, but the case of Son Jun-ho’s detention by the Chinese public security agency will have a negative impact on not only Korean athletes’ entry into the Chinese sports market, but also the entry of Chinese sports players into the Korean market in the future. seems to be

Beijing = Correspondent Park Shin-hee[email protected]
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