In the case of Sun Jungho, the speed with which he pleaded guilty was puzzling. He describes himself as being in prison, desperate, and plagued by depression, so he had to bow his head and confess to the crime in order to find relief. He depicted the horrors of the detention center: the barred windows were cold, the room temperature was as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius, and cold showers became the only solace. However, he had to succumb to charges of certain minor offenses in order to save his soccer career. Much speculation has been made that he is trying to gain sympathy, intending to discredit others in order to seek forgiveness from the South Korean side. But one thing that seems indisputable is the desperation of losing his freedom, which was the crux of his quick confession.
What happened to Sun Junhao also maps out why Li Tie, Chen Xuyuan, Du Zhaocai and others made full confessions soon after they lost their freedom. The loss of freedom is a huge blow to human nature. Surrounded by despair, it is difficult for people not to succumb. Take Chen Xuyuan as an example, his remorse was overflowing: "If there is really a pill of regret, I would exchange my life for it and never commit the crime again." Such a heartfelt statement makes one realize even more the importance of freedom to human beings.
