Former Korean national football team player Son Jun-ho sheds tears during a press conference on Sept. 11 at Suwon City Sports Hall, addressing his permanent ban by the Chinese Football Association. Yonhap

Former South Korean national team midfielder Son Jun-ho, who was a key player in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, now stands at a pivotal moment in his life. Having devoted most of his life to football, Son is facing the heartbreaking possibility of having to end his career.

Son terminated his contract with K League 1 club Suwon FC on Sept. 13 and is now no longer a professional football player.

How did one of South Korea's football stars end up in such a dire situation? To understand, we need to look back to March 25, the day Son finally returned to South Korea after a lengthy ordeal.

For about 10 months, Son was detained and investigated by Chinese authorities. Since 2021, he had been playing for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League.

However, on May 12 of last year, Son was arrested by Chinese public security officials while preparing to return to South Korea via Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. He was then criminally detained and investigated by the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau in Liaoning Province.

At that time, China was aggressively cracking down on corruption and misconduct within its football community. Son's teammate, Jin Jingdao, a Chinese-Korean player, was also arrested on charges of match-fixing and bribery. Son was the first foreign player to be arrested under these suspicions.

A month after his detention, Chinese authorities officially announced that Son was being investigated for "non-state functionary bribery," a charge that refers to instances where individuals or entities involved in private sectors, but performing quasi-official functions or engaging with government officials, are accused of bribery.

Son consistently denied the allegations of match-fixing and bribery during the investigation. However, conflicting reports surfaced, including one from a sports media outlet claiming that Son had been cleared of all charges and released.

Park Dae-yeon, CEO of Son's agency, NEST, said, "Despite his imprisonment, Son remains mentally stable and is grateful for the support from the South Korean public and the consideration shown by Chinese authorities."

Both football fans and the general public were left in the dark about Son's situation, fueling frustration. Upon his release and return to South Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had cooperated closely with Chinese authorities to ensure a swift and fair process.

The ministry also confirmed that it had conducted over 20 consular interviews with Son's family and provided legal support.

Son Heung-min's support for his friend

However, Chinese authorities did not disclose specific details about the charges against Son or the reasons for his release.

With his release, it seemed that everything was resolved. Son's close friends and fellow national team players, Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), welcomed him back with open arms. Son's return coincided with the national team's preparation for the 2026 North American World Cup Asian qualifiers.

A day after Son's return, Lee Jae-sung expressed his joy during a press conference before the match against Thailand, saying, "As a friend who has played football with him since childhood, hearing that he was detained in China a year ago broke my heart, but now I'm grateful for the good news before the match."

Son Heung-min also celebrated Son's return during the match against Thailand on March 27 by scoring a goal and running to the camera, shouting, "Welcome back, Jun-ho!" This was not only a greeting but also a heartfelt message of support for his friend who had returned after a harrowing 10-month ordeal.

Son Jun-ho also took to social media to express his gratitude, saying, "My greeting is very late. I am grateful to be back home safely, spending quality time with my family and enjoying a normal life. I sincerely thank the people of (South Korea) who didn't forget about me and waited and worried for so long."

Son Jun-ho speaks during a press conference regarding his permanent ban by the Chinese Football Association at Suwon City Sports Hall, Sept. 11. Yonhap

Lingering China risk

Just a month after his return, Son began preparing for a comeback in the K League. Shandong had already terminated his contract during his detention last summer. On April 22, about a month after his return, Son was officially registered as a player for K5 League's Geonyong FC, signaling his gradual return to professional football.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) determined that there were no disqualifying factors preventing his registration as a player. Although there are regulations against match-fixing and other football-related misconduct that could bar a player's registration, the KFA found no grounds to block Son's return to the field.

With the Chinese Football Association issuing Son's international transfer certificate, his domestic player registration proceeded smoothly. According to KFA's registration rules, individuals convicted of crimes resulting in a prison sentence or suspended sentence, or those involved in football-related corruption, are generally barred from registration.

However, Son's case faced no obstacles, and he quickly resumed playing. There were widespread rumors that Son would rejoin his former club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

However, on June 14, K League 1 club Suwon FC announced that it had agreed to terms with Son, just three months after his return. Negotiations with Jeonbuk reportedly fell through due to the insertion of a clause related to the "China risk" in the contract.

Suwon FC's general manager Choi Soon-ho, who coached Son during his time at Pohang Steelers, spearheaded the move. Choi offered his former pupil a chance when negotiations with Jeonbuk failed.

On June 22, Son made his debut for Suwon FC, coming on as a substitute in an away match against FC Seoul, marking his return to the K League.

After the game, an emotional Son said, "It was an indescribably different feeling. I didn't give up on my dream of playing football and endured through it. It feels like I'm being rewarded for the efforts I made to achieve my dream."

Son Jun-ho, fourth from left in the bottom row, and other South Korean national football team players celebrate as they pose for a photo after securing their place in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Yonhap

Son's football career up to FIFA

However, in a shocking turn of events, the Chinese Football Association announced on July 10 that Son would be permanently banned from football due to match-fixing allegations.

The association claimed that Son participated in illegal transactions to manipulate matches for personal gain while playing for Shandong Taishan and that he would be barred from all football-related activities for life.

The association also notified FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) of its decision.

The following day, Son held an urgent press conference, revealing that he had been coerced into making a false confession by Chinese authorities, who had threatened his family.

He admitted to receiving 200,000 yuan (37 million won or $27,500) from teammate Jin Jingdao, but maintained that he never admitted to match-fixing.

Son's side explained that he had negotiated with the judge to serve the 10 months he had already spent in detention as his sentence. Son tearfully insisted, "I have never once admitted to match-fixing."

Despite this, Son could not provide a clear explanation for why he received money from Jin Jingdao. He only said that they were close friends who frequently exchanged money and that he may have borrowed and repaid the money.

Son also said that he had given a large sum as a gift to Jin Jingdao's football academy and had helped arrange surgery for Jin's parents. He added, "At that time, I didn't consider it a large sum because I was earning a significant amount in China."

In response to Son's press conference, Chinese authorities issued a statement on July 12. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a media briefing that "the Chinese judicial authorities issued a public verdict on Son Jun-ho's non-state functionary bribery charges in March. Son admitted his guilt in court, expressed remorse, and chose not to appeal." This statement directly contradicted Son's claims.

The issue has now been referred to FIFA. If FIFA's disciplinary committee upholds the permanent ban imposed by the Chinese Football Association, it could mark the end of Son Jun-ho's football career.

FIFA's decision would be communicated to football associations worldwide, effectively barring Son from playing football anywhere. In the worst-case scenario, Son could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The future of Son Jun-ho's football career now hangs in the balance.

Son Jun-ho of K League 1's Suwon FC. Courtesy of the Korea Professional Football League

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.