Lars Veldwijk of Suwon FC reacts to an offside ruling during a K League 1 match against FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 12. (Yonhap)
The Korea Professional Football League suspended Suwon FC forward Lars Veldwijk for 15 games Thursday, three days after the Dutch player was caught driving under the influence of alcohol.
The K League also slapped Veldwijk with a fine of 4 million won ($3,045).
Suwon FC have 13 matches remaining this season. The league's decision rules Veldwijk out for the rest of this season and two more matches next season.
Veldwijk was nabbed in Seoul's Gangnam district Monday and was charged with drunk driving. His blood alcohol content level came to 0.08 percent, high enough to have his driver's license revoked.
Veldwijk, who has been playing in South Korea since 2020, ranked fourth in league scoring this season with nine goals, two off the lead, but his K League career appears to be over.
Suwon FC, meanwhile, will not immediately terminate Veldwijk's contract and make him a free agent, in which case he could join another club outside South Korea as a free agent without Suwon FC receiving any transfer fee.
Two other ex-K Leaguers caught driving while drunk, former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors player Takahiro Kunimoto and ex-FC Anyang player Jonathan Moya, went on to continue their club careers in Portugal and India, respectively.
Foreign clubs interested in Veldwijk's services would have to pay Suwon FC a transfer fee. (Yonhap)
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