South Korean star Son Joon-ho regained his freedom and swore in tears at the airport that his China chapter had turned to the last page. The once shining star in Chinese football spent 10 months in prison in China for an alleged bribery case. Now, he has returned to the bosom of South Korea, leaving behind a vow that he will not step into China. There is the seriousness of the law, the temptation of money, and the tears of remorse in the story.
In the late spring and early summer of 2023, Sun Junhao's life ushered in a huge turning point. At that time, he was planning to end his career in China and prepare to pack his bags and return to South Korea. Who knows, before the bags were ready, they were arrested by the Chinese police on suspicion of accepting bribes.
I remember that Sun Zhunhao joined Shandong Luneng with his contract with an annual salary of 1.5 million euros, and his ball skills were like bright meteors across the night sky on the green field, which was amazing. Not only did he help the team win the Chinese Super League and two FA Cups, but he was also offered a new four-year contract with an annual salary of up to €3 million in 2021.
But just as he was about to leave China, all the good things came to an abrupt end. Son Joon-ho's accusation of being involved in bribery by non-state workers is undoubtedly a heavy blow for a professional footballer. His team, Shandong Luneng, also reacted immediately, and his contract with him was ruthlessly terminated.
The development of things is like a suspense drama, and the team's head coach Hao Wei and player Jin Jingdao and others are also involved in this turmoil. For the next few months, Mr. Sun was held in isolation from the outside world. The legal process proceeds slowly and rigorously. Mr. Sun's family insists he is innocent, but the scales of the law seem to have tilted.
Under Chinese law, the maximum period of investigation cannot exceed seven months, but Sun Zhunhao was detained for nearly 10 months. During this period, he may have shown a positive attitude towards cooperating with the investigation, or the amount of bribes he accepted was not huge, and the impact was not serious. These could all be grounds for his eventual release.
When Son Joon-ho finally stepped on the flight back to China and returned to the land of South Korea, his mood was unpredictable. He chose to remain silent until he landed safely, and then contacted his football commentator friends in South Korea to inform him of his return. At this moment, his mind may be filled with uncertainty about the future and a look back at the past.
Son Joon-ho's return has attracted widespread attention from the South Korean media. This country, which once gave him glory and wealth, has now become a lawless thunder in his heart, and Sun Zhunhao has experienced a storm in China. The former foreign aid star is now crying silently and vowing goodbye.