Russia Detains South Korean National on Charges of Espionage

Russian officials detained a South Korean national on charges of espionage and the Asian nation's foreign ministry said that they are now trying to provide consular support.

The man, identified as Baek Won-soon, was initially arrested in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok "at the start of the year" and is currently being held inside a jail located in Moscow. He is believed to be the first South Korean national detained in Russia under suspicion of espionage.

Russia Detains South Korean Man on Espionage Charges

Russia has detained a South Korean national, identified as Baek Won-soon, over charges of espionage as Seoul is working to investigate the situation.(not actual photo)
(Photo : Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

There is little information that is known about the South Korean man's case and the nation's foreign ministry said that the details are still under investigation, adding that it is "difficult to comment."

However, Russian state media Tass quoted an unnamed official in its report of the detention, saying that the South Korean man is alleged to have passed on information that constituted state secrets to foreign intelligence services.

Local media outlets in South Korea have reported that Seoul was only officially informed by Russian authorities regarding Baek's detention last month. It was reported that the national was taken into custody by Russia's Federal Security Service in January after he arrived in Vladivostok from China, according to BBC.

Baek was said to have been a religious worker who was accompanied by his wife. The latter was also arrested but later released. The national's wife is believed to have gone back to South Korea.

The South Korean man's arrest is the latest development in a series of arrests of foreigners made by Russian authorities since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The Russian capital has been accused of arresting other nations' nationals to use them as political bargaining chips and for prisoner exchanges.

These include an American man and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was arrested in March last year on charges of espionage and Russian-U.S. journalist Alsu Kurmsasheva who was detained for allegedly spreading "false information" about the Russian military.

Arrest of Multiple Foreign Nationals

The arrest of Baek comes as Russia regards South Korea as an "unfriendly" country due to Seoul's support for Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Kyiv. At the same time, Russia has worked to bolster its relationship with North Korea, which the U.S. said is giving Moscow munitions for use in the conflict, said Channel News Asia.

While North Korean and Russian officials denied these claims, they have pledged to strengthen military cooperation with each other. Moscow has arrested and detained multiple foreign nationals over the past year and accused them of committing various offenses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in a recent interview where he suggested that in exchange for Gershkovich, they demand the return of Vadim Krasikov. The latter is serving a life sentence in Germany after being convicted of killing 40-year-old Zelimkhan "Tornike" Khangoshvili in 2019.

Gershkovich is said to be kept in Russia's Lefortovo Prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. The prison dates back to the czarist era and has been seen as a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times, according to the Washington Post.