South Korean national soccer team midfielder, Son Jun-ho, currently playing for China’s Shandong Taishan soccer club, has been criminally detained on bribery charges, according to an announcement by the Chinese government. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed at a press briefing that Son was in the custody of the Liaoning public security agency, facing charges of “bribery by a non-state functionary.”

Wang reportedly emphasized that China is a country “ruled by law” and assured that the case would be managed accordingly, “protecting the legal rights of the involved party.” He also stated that the