South Korea soccer player Son Jun‐ho detained in China on suspicion of taking bribe

South Korea midfielder Son Jun‐ho has been detained in the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning on suspicion of ac‐ cepting a bribe, China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Son was placed in custody "recently" and was under inves‐ tigation. The South Korean con‐ sulate in the provincial capital of Shenyang had been informed of Son's detention and allowed ac‐ cess to the player as required by international treaty.

Son had been playing for the Chinese Super League's Shan‐ dong Taishan, and Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post said the bribery allegations concerned suspected match‐fix‐ ing involving coach Hao Wei.

Wang gave no details on the timing or conditions of Son's de‐ tention, but the Post said he was detained 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 provid‐ ing Son with "necessary consular assistance" through the coun‐ try's local missions. He did not provide more details on Son's situation, citing privacy reasons.

Chinese soccer has struggled for years to rid itself of a reputa‐ tion for corruption among coaches, team owners, players, referees and government sports officials.

The league only just restarted after being shut down under pan‐ demic restrictions, teams are in dire financial straits, and nearly a dozen high‐profile figures have been arrested on corruption alle‐ gations, including former men's national coach Li Tie.