The arrest of national team midfielder Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan) in China for bribery charges came from within China, claiming that the Chinese Communist Party’s carefully calculated ‘hostage diplomacy’.

On the 12th, Son Jun-ho was criminally detained by the Chinese authorities on charges of bribery, but it was not until three days later, on the 15th, that the fact was notified to the Consulate General in Shenyang. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin initially remained ignorant about the case of Son Jun-ho’s detention, but changed his mind a day later and admitted that a “Korean” was detained and under investigation. Under the Chinese Criminal Law, ‘non-state operative bribery crime’ is applied when a person who is not affiliated with a government agency illegally accepts property by taking advantage of the convenience of his/her duties.

According to Chinese media, Son Jun-ho is suspected of being involved in a match-fixing case involving former coach Hao Wei of Shandong Taishan. So far, it has been reported that multiple Shandong players have been investigated for match fixing. Chinese TV station ‘NTD’ reported on the 17th, “Until now, the Chinese Communist Party has not revealed who Son Jun-ho ‘received’ ‘kickbacks’ or ‘commercial bribes’.”

‘NTD’ carried a review by China’s chief current affairs critic. Critic Tang Jingyuan said, “The time of Son Jun-ho’s arrest coincided with the time when Korea resumed the military alliance between the United States and Japan. This time is not a coincidence, but the CCP’s meticulous calculation.” Reconstructed Japan-South Korea relations, which already angered the CCP. It is very likely to reach an agreement with the G7 countries to further contain the CCP. So the Communist Party is actually making unspoken threats by arresting Korean players.”

Source = Shandong SNS
Around the same time, Hong Kong-American Leung Xingyun was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Chinese Communist Party’s메이저놀이터 Suzhou court on charges of so-called “espionage,” according to NTD. The CCP did not release details of Leung’s alleged crimes. ‘NTD’ reported the local atmosphere, saying, “Critics in China believe that ‘hostage diplomacy’ is a common method used by the CCP.”

The Chinese portal ‘Sohu.com’ introduced the situation surrounding Son Jun-ho on the 15th, citing a recent report by reporter Tang Xing. Reporter Tang Xing revealed that Son Jun-ho was taken into custody on the 11th and spent his birthday (12th) in a place of detention. According to the Consulate General in Shenyang and the Embassy in Korea, Son Jun-ho was arrested by the Liaoning Public Security Police while attempting to leave the country through Shanghai Airport, and is being investigated by the Public Security Bureau. He was allegedly accused of taking bribes. His identity as a suspect is not confirmed. It is known that Son Jun-ho’s closest aide in China was also arrested. The phone has been turned off since the 15th.

Agent Son Jun-ho said, “Son Jun-ho was staying in China with his family and wanted to come back to Korea for personal reasons. He even got permission from acting manager Fabio early on. He was planning to buy a round-trip ticket to China and come back to Korea.” Suddenly, the authorities ordered Son Jun-ho to be suspended from leaving the country. Although he had already passed the departure screening, he was caught by the public security in front of the boarding gate.”“Son Jun-ho was recognized for his skills and came to Shandong receiving good treatment, and even achieved great results.