"Draw After Gradual Run, 40 Million Won Deposited in Two Days" 'Son Junho Judgment Document' Revealed in China

Witness Statement: "Received 200,000 Yuan Two Days After the Match"
Authenticity of the Ruling Document Difficult to Verify

An image of the court ruling for Son Jun-ho (32, Chungnam Asan), who was permanently banned from Chinese professional football on charges of match-fixing, has been posted on a Chinese online site, sparking controversy.

On the Chinese content-sharing platform Baijiahao, owned by the Chinese search portal company Baidu, an image capturing the Chinese court’s ruling was posted on the 22nd under the title "Court ruling related to Son Jun-ho ? Inquired about odds and betting information from Jin Jingdao before the match against Shanghai Haigang and then placed a bet of 200,000 yuan." This content appears to effectively acknowledge Son Jun-ho’s involvement in match-fixing, but it is difficult to verify the authenticity of the ruling document.

Son Jun-ho (Suwon FC), a former national soccer team player, is shedding tears during a press conference on September 11 last year at the Suwon City Sports Hall in Jangan-gu, Suwon, regarding his permanent expulsion from the Chinese Football Association. Son Jun-ho, who was detained by Chinese public security for 10 months amid allegations of match-fixing in Chinese professional soccer and was released this March, received a permanent expulsion penalty from the Chinese Football Association. Yonhap News

The ruling document made public online contains witness statements from Son Jun-ho, who had previously claimed his confession was false. Son Jun-ho testified, "Two hours before the match against Shanghai Haigang on January 1, 2022, Jin Jingdao came to me and said, 'Play slowly and control the tempo of the game; do not score a goal. We must not win this match.' Since I had similar experiences before, I agreed without much hesitation."

He continued, "I played the full match and played with a much more relaxed mindset than usual. I did not exert full effort, and Jin Jingdao and Guo Tianyu also did not actively attack. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, and we achieved our goal of not winning. Two days after the match, Jin Jingdao transferred 200,000 yuan (approximately 40 million KRW) to my bank account," he added.

Jin Jingdao also stated in his witness testimony, "At lunch on the day of the match, Son Jun-ho asked me about the odds. I said, 'We just must not win,' and mentioned that I was thinking of betting 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. Then Son Jun-ho said, 'I will also bet 200,000 yuan.' I then approached Guo Tianyu, who also agreed to bet 200,000 yuan. I continued to play slowly during the match, and since Son Jun-ho and Guo Tianyu had already placed bets, they played similarly. I transferred 200,000 yuan to Guo Tianyu and Son Jun-ho," he said.

Former national soccer player Son Jun-ho is holding a press conference in September last year at Suwon City Sports Hall regarding the permanent expulsion disciplinary action by the Chinese Football Association. Photo by Yonhap News

Son Jun-ho, who played for Shandong Taishan in Chinese professional football, was detained while trying to return home at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport in May 2023. He was criminally detained on charges of bribery as a 'non-state actor' and investigated by the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau in Liaoning Province. After the expiration of his criminal detention (temporary custody), his case was converted to arrest investigation, and he was held for 10 months under Chinese public security investigation before returning to Korea on March 27 last year.

After returning, Son Jun-ho held a press conference where he admitted receiving 200,000 yuan from his teammate Jin Jingdao but denied any illegality, saying, "I do not exactly remember the reason for receiving it. It was definitely not for illegal purposes." He also claimed that he made a false confession under threats from Chinese public security during the early stages of the investigation.

Until now, the court ruling related to Son Jun-ho’s trial had not been disclosed. Son Jun-ho’s side stated, "There is no route to obtain the ruling document," and "We have no intention to apply for viewing the ruling document immediately."

The Chinese Football Association, which imposed the 'permanent ban' on Son Jun-ho, requested FIFA in January to extend the sanction worldwide, but the request was rejected. As a result, the sanction by the Chinese Football Association is only valid within China, and Son Jun-ho joined K League 2’s Chungnam Asan last month. A former national team player, he contributed to South Korea’s advancement to the round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and has played 20 A-match games.