A South Korean international football player is being held in police custody in China in connection with a bribery case, a Korean diplomatic source said on Monday.
Son was currently in the custody of the Liaoning Public Security Department in connection to a bribery case, according to an official at South Korea's consulate-general in Shenyang.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, said the consulate had requested a meeting with Son as soon as possible and was in contact with his family.
Son was detained on Friday, his 31st birthday.
Seoul's foreign ministry could not immediately confirm the report, a ministry representative told AFP.
Midfielder Son plays for the South Korean national team, and he has been a member of the Chinese Super League's Shandong Taishan FC since 2021.
He appeared in three of South Korea's four matches at last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Shandong Taishan have not commented publicly on the case but the club posted a message on its official Weibo account on the day he was detained wishing him a happy birthday.
When asked about Son on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the case.
(Reuters and AFP)
