Seoul to seek more consular access to arrested S. Korean football player in China: ministry

▲ In this file photo from Nov. 22, 2022, Son Jun-ho of South Korea speaks at a press conference before a training session for the FIFA World Cup at Al Egla Training Site in Doha. (Yonhap)

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Seoul to seek more consular access to arrested S. Korean football player in China: ministry

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Tuesday it will seek more consular access to a South Korean midfielder based in China who is being arrested by public security authorities reportedly for a bribery case.

Son Jun-ho, who plays for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, has been held in China's Liaoning province since mid-May on what Chinese officials have said are bribery charges.

South Korean diplomats have been granted consular access to Son three times since his detention, an official at South Korea's foreign ministry told reporters, adding the ministry will seek more consular access to Son.

South Korea's diplomatic missions in China have told Beijing to "ensure that a quick and fair investigation is carried out," the official said.

Following the expiration of his detention period, Chinese public security authorities have placed Son under formal arrest on bribery charges, a source familiar with the case said Sunday.

Once an arrest is approved, public security authorities typically take around two months to carry out a deeper investigation before taking steps for an indictment, the source said.

Local media have reported that Son's case may be related to the authorities' investigation into match-fixing allegations involving the coach and other players on Son's team.

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