The mystery of Son Joon-ho (32, Suwon FC) seems to remain.
Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korean national soccer team announced the list of 26 players who will play in the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. next month at the Korea Football Center in Sinmun-ro, Seoul on Wednesday. Four players including 18-year-old K-League player Yang Min-hyuk (Kangwon FC), Lee Han-bum (Mit Willan), Choi Woo-jin (Incheon United), and Hwang Moon-ki (Kangwon FC) were named for the first time.
Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) and Jung Woo-young (Ulsan HD) were selected as defensive midfielders, one of the weaknesses of the Korean national team. There are also Hwang In-beom (Zvezda) and Chung Ho-yeon (Gwangju FC), who can serve in the second or third term. However, there was no name for Son Joon-ho (Suwon FC), who returned to the K-League after being detained in China.
Son, who belonged to Shandong Taishan (China), was arrested in May last year while trying to return home from Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport. Son was released after a 10-month investigation and returned to Korea on April 25. The confirmed charges are “for taking over non-state workers.”
The Chinese Football Association issued an International Transfer Agreement (ITC), and the Korea Football Association (KFA) also approved his registration through review. Initially, Jeonbuk Hyundai was most likely to move to the team, but Son Jun-ho was wearing Suwon FC uniform. Son has not mentioned anything about China since returning to Korea. Multiple sources say that only Son Joon-ho himself, who is involved in the case, can know the exact charges and details.
Son has been regaining his skills with Suwon FC. He played in 11 matches for Suwon FC. He also returned to the ground in an away match against Ulsan in the 27th round. His physical condition is gradually approaching 100 percent. He also expressed his desire to return to the national team.
The defensive midfielder position is a position where the national team always has concerns. Coach Hong also said that the defensive midfielder position 스포츠토토 is one of the two positions he has been most concerned about.
However, the mystery still remains unanswered after his detention in China. Hong briefly explained the reason why Son was not selected. “In case of Son, we are constantly monitoring him. There are parts that are not clearly defined. We will continue to contact the Chinese Football Association. There were risks involved,” he said. Hong did not elaborate on the reason, but he clearly stated the word “risk.”