Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korean national soccer team made the remarks on Wednesday when he announced the list of convened players for the national soccer team ahead of the first and second rounds of the third Asian qualifying round for the North-China World Cup against Palestine (Seoul) on March 5 and Oman (Muscat and Away) on March 10. This is why he did not recruit Son Jun-ho, a defensive midfielder who is flapping his wings for revival in the K League 1 this summer.
Son Jun-ho's "risk" is no different from what was expected. When he was a member of Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League in May last year, he was arrested by public security while trying to return to Korea through Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport. He was detained in criminal custody and questioned by the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau in Liaoning Province. He was suspected of taking over non-state agents (in the case of illegally receiving property from others), but his colleague was involved in match fixing, which devastated the club. Son was also suspected of taking part in match fixing or receiving money and valuables during the process of transferring to Shandong. He strongly denied the allegation. After spending a whopping 10 months behind bars, he was released in March and returned home.
It is known that the charges have not been properly revealed in Korea. However, he has never expressed a proper position regarding his detention in China since returning home. While seeking to return to the ground, unexplained suspicions coexisted. The failure of his former team to return to Jeonbuk Hyundai is also accompanied by related risks.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) allowed Son to be registered as a player in April, saying that he had no reason to be disqualified. After getting fit for K5 League Geonyong FC, he joined his former team Jeonbuk Training Center and seemed to be wearing a green uniform again. However, the club and its parent company were concerned about Son's risk of being detained in China through their own investigation, and the final negotiations failed.
Since then, Suwon FC, led by Choi Soon-ho, a senior soccer player, has embraced Son Joon-ho. He quickly improved his condition and scored a goal in the K-League for the first time in 1,400 days in an away match with Ulsan HD on the 18th. He also expressed his willingness to return to the national team, saying, "I want to wear the national flag again."
Nevertheless, Hong did not choose him. He also mentioned the risk of being detained in China. Was it only the coach's and coach's judgment? Hong Myung-bo, who is set to sail for the first time, does not have as many resources as Son's as vulnerable as Son's at the third term. Nevertheless, he was not able to choose as the Chinese Football Association is set to announce disciplinary action against Son, who has been detained for a long time. According to multiple sources familiar with the situation of the KFA, some information about Son has already been reported.
If the Chinese Football Association notifies FIFA of Son's disciplinary action, it will also be applied to other countries' soccer community. In other words, if a player is given a high level of disciplinary action such as permanent expulsion, he or she could face the biggest crisis in his or her life.
Son Jun-ho is also responsible for taking this risk. It is the person concerned who knows the situation and situation best. If he wants to stand tall and wear the national flag, he or she should explain major suspicions at an appropriate time through his or her representative. Silence seems to have been poisoned.