China has verified the detention of a South Korean footballer in connection with a case of bribery.
The Chinese foreign ministry says Liaoning police are holding Chinese Super League player Son Jun-ho.
Friday, the 31-year-old was arrested at a Shanghai airport, according to South Korean media.
The reports of Mr. Son’s arrest coincided with a concerted effort to combat corruption and match-fixing in Chinese football.
Diplomats from South Korea will confer with Mr. Son “to determine precisely what charges” he is being held for, according to Yonhap News Agency, citing sources.
The foreign ministry stated that its mission in China was providing consular assistance to Mr. Son, but declined further comment.
In the past three months, China has detained at least four football officials on suspicion of wrongdoing.
Mr. Son transferred to China’s Shandong province in 2021, where he played for Shandong Taishan as a midfielder.
In that season, the club claimed the Chinese Football League, the highest level of professional football in China. Marouane Fellaini, a former Manchester United and Everton midfielder, is one of his current teammates.
He has also participated in 20 international contests for his country, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The Korea Football Association has requested an explanation from Shandong Taishan but has not yet received a response.
Accusations of bribery and match-fixing have plagued Chinese football for years. Recent arrests of prominent football figures have inflicted another blow to the nation’s football ambitions.
Chen Xuyuan, president of the Chinese Football Association, was detained in February on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and the law” just as stadiums began to reopen following Covid lockdowns.
Mr. Chen’s arrest was the fourth documented instance of an investigation into a senior football official in less than three months.
Former national coach Li Tie, one of China’s most prominent footballers, was also investigated for “serious violations of the law” last November.
Recently, match manipulation has also generated controversy in South Korean football. The entire executive board of the Korea Football Association resigned last month after attempting to pardon approximately 100 individuals who were banned from the sport for match-fixing and other offenses.
