SAN ISIDRO, Argentina (AFP) – A former bodyguard of Diego Maradona was arrested Tuesday for allegedly giving false testimony in the trial of seven health professionals accused of criminal negligence in the late football legend’s medical care.
Julio Coria left the courtroom in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro in handcuffs after judges ruled in favor of the prosecution’s claim that he had lied under oath.
Coria was present in the house were Maradona died under conditions prosecutors say amounted to negligence, and had tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, according to evidence before the court.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020 at age 60, while recovering at home from brain surgery for a blood clot. He had battled cocaine and alcohol addiction for decades.
Jana Maradona, daughter of late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, leaves after a hearing at San Isidro court, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on March 25, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
His seven-person medical team is on trial for what prosecutors have called the “horror theater” of the final days of his life.
Maradona died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs — two weeks after going under the knife.
Coria had tried to resuscitate Maradona until doctors arrived at the house in Tigre, near San Isidro, and declared him dead.
The bodyguard claimed in court he had not spoken with Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician, one of those on trial.
But the investigation revealed multiple text messages between the two before and after Maradona’s death.
The prosecution interrupted Coria’s testimony several times, accusing him of “contradictions and omissions,” before asking for his arrest.
Perjury carries a possible 10-year prison sentence in Argentina.
The seven defendants in the case are accused of “homicide with possible intent” — pursuing a course of action despite knowing it can lead to their patient’s death.
They risk prison terms of between eight and 25 years.
Prosecutors allege the footballer was abandoned to his fate for a “prolonged, agonising period” before his death.
Nearly 120 witnesses are expected to testify in the long-delayed trial expected to run until July.
WASHINGTON (AFP) – A US federal judge on Tuesday announced a trial date of June 23 for a criminal case against Boeing over two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
In two court filings, district court Judge Reed O’Connor from Fort Worth, Texas said he was vacating an April 11 deadline for the aircraft manufacturing giant and prosecutors to announce progress on a plea deal, and moving ahead with the trial over the two crashes, in which 346 people died.
In a statement, Boeing said it was still engaged in “good faith discussions” with the Justice Department regarding an “appropriate” resolution of the matter.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the case. There was no immediate reaction from the families’ US lawyers.
Boeing agreed last July to plead guilty to fraud after the Justice Department found the company failed to improve its compliance and ethics program, in breach of a deferred prosecution agreement following the two deadly MAX crashes.
That deal was concluded in January 2021 to address the disasters in Ethiopia and Indonesia.
But in December, a judge in Texas rejected the 2024 settlement over apparent flaws in the selection process for a monitor to ensure Boeing’s compliance, sending the company and the government back to continue discussions.
It was not immediately clear why O’Connor decided to cancel the April 11 deadline for the plea deal and to move directly to trial instead.
MANILA (AFP) – Nathalie Mago’s work day begins after she’s tucked her three daughters into bed and flicked off the lights in their house north of the Philippine capital Manila.
As her young family sleeps, she fires up her laptop and begins discussing the day’s agenda with her boss — an American half a world away.
A “virtual assistant”, Mago is one of a growing number of Filipinos flocking to the booming but unregulated sector in the face of a tight job market, low wages and frequently hellish commutes.
“It literally saved me,” Mago told AFP. “I was able to support myself and my family at the same time.”
A former office worker, the 32-year-old said she’s now earning five times as much serving as the “right hand” of employers for whom she writes copy, manages social media and even buys family birthday gifts.
This photo taken on August 24, 2024, shows Philippine’s “virtual assistant” Nathalie Mago working at her home in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. PHOTO: AFP
Government figures for the sector are unavailable as the role falls into no recognised job category, meaning legal protections are also effectively non-existent.
But Derek Gallimore, of advisory firm Outsource Accelerator, estimates the number of Filipino virtual assistants at around a million — a number he expects to grow.
“It’s the assumption that they can call their own shots, have more freedom and earn more money,” Gallimore said of the job’s allure, adding the reality may not always meet expectations.
Job-seeking platform Upwork lists the Philippines among the top five countries churning out virtual assistants, alongside India, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States.
“We expect the growth of virtual assistant work in the Philippines to continue,” said Teng Liu, an economist at Upwork Research Institute.
Filipinos’ English proficiency made them a “strong fit” for global clients, he added, with Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States among the biggest markets.
Risks and rewards
A recent TikTok video with tens of thousands of likes featured a virtual assistant slowly unveiling a screenshot of her pay for five days’ work — PHP29,400 (USD512), more than double the monthly minimum wage in Manila.
Several Facebook groups for virtual assistants — whose tasks can include everything from marketing to making travel arrangements — boast hundreds of thousands of followers who view the job as a path to a better life.
But there are risks associated with the sector.
“I know a lot of people who got scammed. The last one got scammed for PHP50,000,” said Mago, describing a scheme in which a virtual assistant was tricked into paying for access to jobs that never materialised.
Others complete work for clients who then simply disappear, she said.
Law lecturer Arnold de Vera, from the University of the Philippines, told AFP the industry lacks protections under Philippine law because it falls into no existing government category.
“They’re invisible in the sense that they are generally treated not as Philippine employees,” de Vera told AFP, noting most virtual assistants classify themselves as “self-employed”.
No law forces employers outside the country to uphold agreements made with Philippines-based workers, he said.
“It’s risky because there is no remedy involved but people are willing to take that risk because of the rewards they can reap.”
A path home?
Lyann Lubrico is among those who think the reward is worth the risk.
The 33-year-old, who became a virtual assistant after losing her job as an office manager in the United Arab Emirates, believes remote work can be a path home for overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs.
This photo taken on September 26, 2024, shows Philippine’s “virtual assistant” Lyann Lubrico working at her home in Quezon City, Metro Manila. PHOTO: AFP
Now the owner of her own agency, Lubrico calls it her “mission” to give OFWs, whose remittances account for nearly 10 per cent of national GDP, a way to make that money at home instead.
“I know some cleaners who grew old being cleaners abroad… I thought to myself, Filipinos shouldn’t settle for this all their lives,” she said, noting the abuse and discrimination faced by many.
Through a Facebook group called “Balikbayan (Returning Home) For Good”, Lubrico has so far offered informal training to about 200 OFWs hoping to become virtual assistants.
“My mission is to enable overseas Filipinos to come home — one at a time,” said Lubrico.
But while a true believer in the sector, she agrees legal protections remain a crucial step.
Renato Paraiso, spokesman for the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology, told AFP one key challenge is the fact that virtual assistant work “is borderless”.
“That is something we should address,” he said, adding that forging labour partnerships with other countries could be a path forward in protecting the rights of Filipinos.
“If we have more protections I think more people will be encouraged to become virtual assistants,” said Mago, working remotely for the American.
“I strongly believe if every household in the Philippines has (someone employed as) a virtual assistant, no one will be hungry.”
BANGKOK (AFP) – Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, defeating a challenge from opposition parties who accused her of being a puppet of her father, billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
After a two-day censure debate in which the opposition attacked 38-year-old Paetongtarn’s management of the country and her inexperience, MPs voted down the no-confidence motion by 319 votes to 162, with seven abstentions.
Paetongtarn thanked her supporters after winning the vote.
“All votes, both for and against, will be a force driving me and the cabinet to carry on working hard for the people,” she wrote on Facebook.
Thaksin, the most influential but controversial politician of modern Thai history, returned to the kingdom in 2023 after 15 years of self-exile.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (C) poses with members of the governement after surviving a no-confidence vote at the Thai Parliament in Bangkok on March 26, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
He served a few months of an eight-year jail sentence for historic graft and abuse of power charges in a police hospital before being pardoned by the king, fuelling rumours of a backroom deal to treat him leniently.
The 75-year-old remains popular among millions of poorer Thais who prospered under his 2001-2006 rule, but he is despised by the kingdom’s conservative elite who regard him as corrupt and manipulative.
Paetongtarn became prime minister last year at the head of a coalition government led by the Pheu Thai party — the latest incarnation of the political movement founded by Thaksin — after the incumbent Srettha Thavisin was thrown out by a court order.
During the censure debate Rangsiman Rome, an outspoken lawmaker with the main opposition People’s Party, accused Paetongtarn of engineering preferential treatment for her father.
“You made a deal, a demon deal, to get your father better conditions than other prisoners,” he said in parliament.
“The condition was your father will not be in jail for a single day.”
Paetongtarn denied the allegation, pointing out that she only became prime minister several months after her father’s royal pardon.
Opposition MPs also accused Paetongtarn of avoiding tax and of mishandling the case of 40 Uyghurs sent back to China late last month.
The repatriation of the Uyghurs sparked international condemnation and led to Washington imposing visa bans on some Thai officials.
VIENTIANE (ANN/VIENTIANE TIMES) – Air pollution due to agricultural burning is affecting all parts of the country, with the worst levels recorded in Xieng Khuang, Xayaboury and Xekong provinces and in Vientiane, the Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute reported on Tuesday.
Individuals with asthma, any chronic lung disease or cardiovascular disease are at risk of exacerbated symptoms, and the Ministry of Health advises people to wear a face mask at all times when outside to minimise inhalation of fine ash or dust.
The highest PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 284 micrograms per cubic metre in Kaeng village, Xayaboury district, Xayaboury province, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 300.
AQI categorises pollution levels as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (moderate), 101-150 (unhealthy for sensitive groups), 151-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy), and above 300 (hazardous).
Other areas where air quality was recorded at very unhealthy levels include Phongsaly, Oudomxay, Borikhamxay, Attapeu, Saravan, Xaysomboun and Vientiane provinces, posing health risks to sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
The Haze Monitoring Division of the Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute notes that Laos faces severe air pollution annually during the dry season. In April and May, dense smog blankets numerous areas of the country, primarily caused by farmers burning fields to prepare for the next planting cycle.
Throughout this period, high temperatures, low wind speeds, and high humidity entrap PM2.5 particles, resulting in significant air pollution.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment estimates that 30 per cent of PM2.5 pollution in Laos results from the burning of garbage, forests, and farmland. Other significant sources include vehicle emissions in urban areas and industrial plants using unclean forms of energy.
Air pollution darkens the skies over Vientiane. PHOTO: ANN/PHOONSAB/VIENTIANE TIMES
SUWON, South Korea (AFP) – Son Heung-min blamed South Korea’s shoddy pitches for their 2026 World Cup qualifying struggles after a 1-1 draw with Jordan left them sweating on an automatic place at the tournament.
The Koreans were held at home for a second game in a row on Tuesday after also drawing with Oman last week and hold a precarious lead at the top of Asian qualifying Group B with an away trip to third-placed Iraq still to come.
South Korea’s two qualifiers in March were moved away from Seoul because of the capital stadium’s poor pitch but skipper Son said the turf was still below par and took aim at his country’s football administrators.
“When we’re at home we’re supposed to enjoy the best playing conditions possible but things have not improved at all,” the Tottenham striker told reporters after the game in Suwon.
“I know we can play better than this but when conditions on our home soil get in the way, then I wonder where we should get our home advantage.”
South Korea’s Son Heung-min controls the ball on the touchline against Jordan during the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifier football match between South Korea and Jordan in Suwon on March 25, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
Poor pitches have been a running theme in South Korean football, with former Manchester United and England forward Jesse Lingard also weighing in last month.
Lingard, who now plays for FC Seoul in the K League, tripped over a chunk of turf while playing at home for his club and later took to social media to air his frustration.
South Korea’s World Cup qualifier against Iraq in October last year was also moved away from the capital because of the playing conditions.
“I know this may sound like an excuse, but every small detail matters in football,” said Son.
“It can make the difference of getting one point or getting three points. I hope people will pay closer attention to it.”
Lee Jae-sung gave South Korea the lead in the fifth minute before Jordan equalised later in the first half.
The result leaves the Koreans on top of Group B with 16 points, three ahead of Jordan and four ahead of Iraq, who suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Palestine.
The top two qualify automatically for the World Cup in 2026 in North America.
South Korea play Iraq away in their next game before rounding off their campaign at home to Kuwait.
“Despite this disappointment we’re still leading the group and that’s a fact,” said Son.
“We want to stay there until the end of the round.”
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Wind-driven wildfires that were among South Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing 18 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate, officials said Wednesday.
A 1,300-year-old temple, houses, factories and vehicles were among the structures destroyed in the wildfires that have burned 43,330 acres and injured 19 people, the government’s emergency response centre said.
In a televised address, South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo said the wildfires that began last Friday were causing worse damage than many other past wildfires.
Han said crews were struggling to extinguish the wildfires because strong winds swept the areas overnight. Han said about 4,650 firefighters, soldiers and other personnel were working Wednesday to extinguish the wildfires with the help of about 130 helicopters. He said that “a small amount” of 5-10 millimetres of rain was expected Thursday.
Observers say the ongoing wildfires are the third biggest in South Korea in terms of land burned.
A firefighter works to extinguish a fire at a house that has been engulfed in a wildfire in Uiseong, South Korea, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. PHOTO: Yoon Gwan-shick/Yonhap via AP
Officials in several southeastern cities and towns had ordered residents to evacuate Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain multiple blazes fueled by dry winds. The largest fires were in Andong, the neighboring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong, and the city of Ulsan, according to South Korea’s Interior Ministry.
Earlier on Tuesday, officials reported that firefighters had extinguished most of the flames from the largest wildfires in those areas, but wind and dry conditions allowed the blazes to spread once more. However, efforts to combat the fires were partially halted overnight as winds intensified.
The Korea Forest Service said it had raised its wildfire warning to the highest “serious” level nationwide Tuesday, necessitating local governments to deploy more personnel to emergency response, tighten entry restrictions for forests and parks, and advise military units to withhold live-fire drills.
The 18 dead include four firefighters and government workers who were killed in Sancheong on Saturday after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds, according to officials.
Government officials believe human error might have led to several of the fires, potentially from using flames to clear overgrown grass in family tombs or sparks from welding work.
Houses burn in a village after being engulfed by a wildfire fueled by strong winds in Uiseong, South Korea, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. PHOTO: Yoon Gwan-shick/Yonhap via AP
JOHOR BAHRU (ANN/THE STAR) – Consumers have plenty to cheer about as egg prices cracked open to their lowest in years, with some grades now selling at half their usual price.
Checks at sundry shops here found a tray of 30 Grade E eggs selling for as low as MYR4, down from MYR8.50, which is over a 50 per cent drop.
A tray of Grade C eggs is now priced at MYR5.50, down from MYR10. Grade D eggs have dropped to MYR4.80 per tray, from MYR9.
For larger eggs, the price is less significant, with Grade A eggs now priced at around MYR11.50 per tray, down from MYR13, while Grade B eggs have dropped to MYR9 from MYR10.50.
Bodybuilder Roby Seng, 31, said the price drop was good news for him as he typically consumes 15 hard-boiled eggs a day for muscle repair and growth.
“I took the opportunity to purchase six trays of Grade C eggs for MYR33 after finding out about the price drop. I will be sharing them with my family as they usually consume two trays of eggs each week,” said Seng, who also works as a physiotherapist.
He said his family members were also taking advantage of the “rare” situation by surveying egg prices in different locations to stock up.
Taman Universiti resident Rohana Dollah, 66, also grabbed the chance to stock up on eggs ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“I bought a tray of Grade B eggs for MYR9.60 and Grade D eggs for MYR5.40 as the low prices caught my attention while grocery shopping at a community mall in Tampoi. Although it is about half an hour’s drive from my home, I usually shop here as the prices are cheaper compared to the market in my neighbourhood. I’m glad to save some money, especially with the prices of many items going up,” said the retiree, noting that she spends around MYR200 on groceries each week.
However, the relief may be short-lived, as retailers say that prices could go up after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations committee member Wong Kok Wai said the price drop started in late February and consumers can expect to enjoy cheap eggs for another two weeks before prices return to normal.
“This is happening nationwide, not just in Johor. We expect the prices to go back to normal in the second half of April. Egg prices tend to dip before Ramadan each year, but not this significantly. This year’s price drop ranged from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, which is uncommon. The reduced egg prices make it among the lowest we have seen in years,” he noted, attributing the price dip to lower egg consumption during the fasting month and reduced exports to countries like Singapore, causing an oversupply in the market.
Wong, who also runs a wholesale and sundry shop here, said some customers expressed “disbelief” when they saw the low prices, thinking they were for 10 eggs instead of a tray of 30.
Egg seller P. Vithiya said her customers mostly prefer buying lower-grade eggs as they can purchase higher quantities and enjoy more savings.
Egg-cellent news: Egg prices have cracked open to their lowest in years, with some grades now selling at half their usual price, giving consumers plenty to cheer about. PHOTO: ANN/THE STAR
In fact, two men who had been drinking kicked and yanked on a statue of Paddington, the fictional orphaned bear who came to England from Peru, until it broke in half. Then they took it.
A judge on Tuesday chastised the duo — both military personnel — for being the “antithesis” of everything Paddington’s character stands for.
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and engineers in the Royal Air Force, admitted in Reading Magistrates’ Court that they were responsible for the March 2 vandalism in Newbury, the hometown of Paddington creator Michael Bond.
“Paddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon with children and adults alike,” Judge Sam Goozee said. “He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society. … Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.”
The statue of the bear in his signature blue coat and red hat was one of 23 installed last fall as part of a Paddington trail across England to mark the release of “Paddington in Peru.” The introspective bear is gazing skyward while clutching a sandwich — with marmalade about to drip on his lap.
This photo made available by PinPep shows a statue of Paddington Bear in Newbury, England, during its unveiling on Oct. 8, 2024. PHOTO: AP
The judge noted that the label on Paddington’s coat says, “Please look after this bear.”
Prosecutor said Jamie Renuka said the men were drunk during the escapade that was captured by a surveillance camera on the empty street just before 2:00 AM. The two spirited away half of the statue in a taxi and returned to RAF Odiham base where the purloined Paddington was later found in Lawrence’s car.
Goozee said the crime could “only be described as an act of wanton vandalism” and that the two had failed to uphold the respect and integrity expected in the military.
The pair, who admitted criminal damage, were ordered to perform community work and each to pay GBP2,725 (USD3,527) for repairs to the damaged statue.
An RAF spokesperson said the service would consider the court’s findings but that any discipline would not be disclosed because it would be a private matter.
The statue is currently being repaired and will be reinstalled, the Newbury Business Improvement District said.
SMARDEN, England (AP) — One malnourished lioness had spent her life confined to an apartment. Another was so shell-shocked she could barely walk.
They are among five traumatised lions rescued from the war zone in Ukraine who are settling into a new home in England after an international effort to bring them to safety.
Male African lion Rori and lionesses Amani, Lira and Vanda arrived this month at the Big Cat Sanctuary after a 12-hour journey by road and ferry from temporary homes at zoos and animal shelters in Belgium. They join lioness Yuna, who arrived in August, at the sanctuary’s new Lion Rescue Center, which officially opens on Tuesday.
Rori a lion rescued from Ukraine settles into his new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. PHOTO: AP
All five were found near the front line in Ukraine’s war against Russian invasion, neglected and abandoned by their owners.
“All of these five lions were originally from the illegal pet trade and wildlife trade,” said Cameron Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of London. “None of them came from zoos.”
Yuna was kept in a small brick cell and was shellshocked after missile debris fell near her enclosure. Rori was mistreated in a private menagerie, while sanctuary staff believe siblings Amani and Lira were bred to have their photos taken with tourists as cubs.
Vanda, kept inside an apartment, was malnourished and infested with parasites.
Whitnall says in her new home Vanda, like the others, can “become the lion she deserves to be.”
Cameron Whitnall watches Vanda a lion rescued from Ukraine, as she settles into her new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. PHOTO: AP
The lions were saved by the Wild Animals Rescue Center run by Natalia Popova, a Ukrainian woman who has saved hundreds of abandoned pets and zoo animals since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Lions, tigers, leopards, wolves, deer, monkeys and more have passed through her shelter, a converted horse stables near Kyiv.
Hundreds have been sent abroad for treatment and recovery. Whitnall was determined to bring the five lions to Britain, even though the sanctuary had nowhere to put them. A fundraising campaign launched in May 2024 raised more than GBP500,000 (USD650,000) to cover the costs of transportation, veterinary care and building a new home for the cats.
Staff say they are adapting well to their enclosures, which have been designed around each lion’s individual needs. Yuna and Rori, who have coordination issues, got gently landscaped environments where they can’t fall from a height, while sisters Amani and Lira have trees to climb. Vanda, the most playful and confident of the lions, has an enclosure that includes a water feature.
“I’m sure it’s a bit of a journey. We’ve got more to do, but they are taking everything so incredibly well,” said curator Briony Smith, who looks after the animals. “You can already tell that there is improvement in their care and their welfare and the way that they feel about that.”
After being rescued from Ukraine, lion sisters Amani and Lira settle into their new forever home at The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent, England, Thursday, March 20, 2025. PHOTO: AP
Smith and Whitnall are still getting to know their four newest charges. They have already formed a strong bond with Yuna, who had never been on grass until she was rescued.
“She could barely walk,” Whitnall said. “She was suffering from shellshock and concussion. She was so severely bad that they were actually going to euthanise her. But we managed to step in and get her out of the war zone, and she’s just come on leaps and bounds since being here at the sanctuary.
“We’re just so happy with her progress,” said Whitnall, who enjoys feeding Yuna her favorite snack of raw chicken legs. “She’s a beautiful lioness now.”
Son blames bad pitches as South Korea slip up in World Cup qualifying
SUWON, South Korea (AFP) – Son Heung-min blamed South Korea’s shoddy pitches for their 2026 World Cup qualifying struggles after a 1-1 draw with Jordan left them sweating on an automatic place at the tournament.
The Koreans were held at home for a second game in a row on Tuesday after also drawing with Oman last week and hold a precarious lead at the top of Asian qualifying Group B with an away trip to third-placed Iraq still to come.
South Korea’s two qualifiers in March were moved away from Seoul because of the capital stadium’s poor pitch but skipper Son said the turf was still below par and took aim at his country’s football administrators.
“When we’re at home we’re supposed to enjoy the best playing conditions possible but things have not improved at all,” the Tottenham striker told reporters after the game in Suwon.
“I know we can play better than this but when conditions on our home soil get in the way, then I wonder where we should get our home advantage.”
Poor pitches have been a running theme in South Korean football, with former Manchester United and England forward Jesse Lingard also weighing in last month.
Lingard, who now plays for FC Seoul in the K League, tripped over a chunk of turf while playing at home for his club and later took to social media to air his frustration.
South Korea’s World Cup qualifier against Iraq in October last year was also moved away from the capital because of the playing conditions.
“I know this may sound like an excuse, but every small detail matters in football,” said Son.
“It can make the difference of getting one point or getting three points. I hope people will pay closer attention to it.”
Lee Jae-sung gave South Korea the lead in the fifth minute before Jordan equalised later in the first half.
The result leaves the Koreans on top of Group B with 16 points, three ahead of Jordan and four ahead of Iraq, who suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Palestine.
The top two qualify automatically for the World Cup in 2026 in North America.
South Korea play Iraq away in their next game before rounding off their campaign at home to Kuwait.
“Despite this disappointment we’re still leading the group and that’s a fact,” said Son.
“We want to stay there until the end of the round.”