SUWON, South Korea - Kim Man-bae, the principal shareholder in the controversial Daejang-dong property development, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by the Suwon District Court on Wednesday for bribery charges. Kim was convicted of offering bribes totaling 80 million won (approximately US$59,900) to Choi Yoon-gil, the former Chairman of the Seongnam City Council, to secure support for the Seongnam Development Corp. ordinance, crucial for the project's advancement. Choi received a 4 1/2-year prison sentence for his role in the scheme.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim aimed to influence the legislative process in favor of the development project by hiring Choi in a high-ranking position within Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management and promising substantial financial rewards upon the project's completion. The court's decision comes two years after the indictment of the two figures in February 2022, highlighting their involvement in the broader corruption scandal surrounding the Daejang-dong development. Despite the convictions, immediate detention for Kim and Choi was not ordered, with the court citing their consistent trial attendance and low risk of evidence tampering as factors.
SEOUL - The South Korean football federation confirmed on Wednesday a report from British media that Son Heung-min, the captain of the South Korean national team, sustained a finger injury during a confrontation with teammates. This incident occurred on the eve of the team's unexpected defeat at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup semifinals last week.According to Yonhap News Agency, the altercation that led to Son's finger dislocation happened during a team dinner in Qatar on February 5, just before South Korea faced Jordan in the semifinals of the tournament. Despite being favored to win, South Korea was defeated 2-0 by Jordan, a team ranked 64 places lower at 87th in the world. South Korea has been seeking its first AFC championship title since 1960.
The report detailed that the dispute arose when Lee Kang-in, the 22-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, and other younger team members decided to leave dinner early to play table tennis, an action Son, aged 31, reportedly saw as a missed opportunity for team bonding ahead of the crucial match. Following an exchange of words, Son suffered a dislocated finger during the ensuing scuffle.
An unnamed source told The Sun that the altercation moved into the dining area where players had to be separated. The source described Son's injury as occurring while he attempted to defuse the situation, adding that some younger players had been disrespectful towards him.
A Korea Football Association (KFA) official confirmed the occurrence of the incident, stating it began when younger players left for table tennis, leading to a disagreement with Son and other senior team members. This resulted in Son injuring his finger amid the exchange.
Despite the injury, Son participated in the semifinal match with his right index and middle fingers strapped together. Following the team's exit from the tournament, there has been increasing pressure on South Korea's head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, to resign due to perceived leadership failures. The incident underscores broader issues of team cohesion and discipline.
The KFA has announced a meeting of its National Team Committee to discuss Klinsmann's future. Klinsmann, who is currently in the United States, is expected to join the meeting via video conference.