Son Jun-ho cleared to return

[Anchor]

Son Jun-ho, who was permanently banned by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on charges of match-fixing, now has a path to return to the field.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) rejected the CFA’s request to extend the ban globally.

Reporter Park Sun-woo reports.

[Report]

Son Jun-ho was caught by the police while trying to return to South Korea from China in May 2023.

Although there were allegations of match-fixing and bribery, Son Jun-ho's side strongly denied them.

After being detained in China for 10 months, Son Jun-ho was released and seemed to be aiming for a comeback in the K League wearing a Suwon FC uniform.

However, after the Chinese Football Association permanently banned Son Jun-ho for match-fixing allegations in September last year, they requested FIFA to expand the ban worldwide, putting his career in jeopardy.

[Son Jun-ho/Press conference in Sept. 2024: "(During the investigation) please reveal the process of how I was coerced into confessing by disclosing the audio files, and prove my innocence."]

Four months after living in anxiety due to the termination of his contract with Suwon FC, Son Jun-ho received good news.

The Korea Football Association announced that it had received a formal document from FIFA stating that the request from the Chinese Football Association to expand Son Jun-ho's ban worldwide had been rejected and conveyed it to Son Jun-ho.

With the ban only being effective in China, Son Jun-ho is now able to play in the K League as well as in any overseas league except for China.

Son Jun-ho's side welcomed the news, stating that he has been undergoing personal training domestically and is in a position to return to play at any time.

However, the Football Association plans to request a legal interpretation from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee regarding whether the player registration regulations applied based on domestic court rulings will affect Son Jun-ho, who was banned in China.

This is KBS News Park Sun-woo.