Son Jun-ho case at critical crossroads, lawyers to meet as early as this week…KFA to fly to Shenyang next week
토토사이트 It has been nearly two weeks since Chinese national team midfielder Son Junho (31, Shandong Taishan), who plays in the Chinese professional soccer league, was detained by Chinese police. The midfielder, who played in last year’s World Cup in Qatar, was arrested in Shanghai on Dec. 12 on suspicion of “soliciting non-state actors” and is being investigated under “criminal detention” by the Liaoning Provincial Public Security Bureau. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his detention on June 16, and the Consulate General of Shenyang completed a consular visit on June 17.
He is not being investigated in his home province of Shandong or in Shanghai, where he was arrested, as the Liaoning provincial police are investigating corruption in the country’s soccer system. In the wake of China’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time, the government is in the midst of an investigation into match-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling, and other irregularities.
As it turns out, the investigation is much broader than in 2009. Former Chinese national team coach Li Tie and Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Chen Shuiyuan have been investigated, while in Shandong, former coach Hao Wei and a Chinese agent involved in Son Jungho’s transfer were arrested. Jin Jingdao, a Korean-American player with close ties to Son, was also detained. In this turbulent atmosphere, Son Jun-ho has been labeled a suspect in “bribery of non-officials” and is facing an increasingly long detention period.
It’s been a week since his consular interview on April 24, and there has been no further news. All that has been said is that there were no human rights violations during the investigation.
However, there are signs of movement. Son recently retained a local lawyer through a South Korean law firm. He is now in the process of filing paperwork with the authorities to request an interview with his lawyer. It is expected that Son and his lawyer will meet as early as this week and as late as early next week.
This is the starting point for all future proceedings. Once we know and share the specific allegations, we will respond in earnest. It is also essential to prove their innocence of match-fixing, bribery, and other allegations.
The Korean Football Association (KFA) has also lent its support. CEO Jeon Han-jin and his lawyer have applied for a visa and are awaiting the outcome. However, the outcome is uncertain. The Chinese visa process has been tightened since the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a long waiting list, so the decision won’t be made until next week at the earliest. Instead of the CFA, which has already been devastated by the investigation, KFA representatives will travel directly to Shenyang to deal with the situation with the help of the consulate general.