Son Jun-ho: The South Korean soccer player was arrested in China in a bribery investigation

China has confirmed that it has arrested a South Korean soccer player in a bribery case.

Son Jun-ho, who plays in the Chinese Super League, is in police custody in northeastern Liaoning province, China’s foreign ministry said.

According to South Korean media, a 31-year-old man was arrested at Shanghai Airport on Friday.

Reports of Mr Son’s arrest come amid a concerted crackdown on corruption and match-fixing in Chinese football.

South Korean diplomats are meeting with Mr. Son “to find out exactly what kind of charges” he has been arrested on, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing sources.

The country’s foreign ministry said its mission in China was providing consular assistance to Son, but declined to comment further.

China has arrested at least four soccer officials over the past three months for suspected wrongdoing.

Son moved to China’s Shandong Province in 2021, where he played as a midfielder for Shandong Taishan.

The club won the Chinese Football League that year – the highest level of professional football in China. His current teammates include former Manchester United and Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

He has also played 20 international matches for his home country, including last year’s FIFA World Cup.

A Korea Football Association official said they have sought an explanation from Shandong Taishan but have not heard from the club.

Chinese football has long been under accusations of bribery and match-fixing. Recent arrests of major football figures have dealt another setback to the country’s football ambitions.

In February, just as stadiums began to reopen after the Covid lockdowns, the president of the Chinese Football Association, Chen Xuyuan, was arrested on suspicion of “serious violations of discipline and law”.

Chen’s arrest was the fourth known example of a senior football official being investigated in less than three months.

Last November, former national coach Li Tie, who was one of China’s highest-profile footballers, was also investigated for “serious violations of the law”.

Match-fixing has also sparked controversy in South Korean football recently. Last month, the entire board of the Korea Football Association resigned in an attempt to pardon around 100 people who had been banned for match-fixing and other offences.