Ministry of Foreign Affairs Provides Necessary Consular Assistance Following Arrest of Korean Spy Suspect in Russia

First Arrest of a Korean on Espionage Charges in Russia

The government stated that the local diplomatic mission is providing necessary consular assistance regarding the arrest of a South Korean national on espionage charges in Vladivostok, Russia.

On the 12th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said about the arrest of a South Korean citizen in Russia, "The local diplomatic mission has been providing necessary consular assistance immediately after becoming aware of the arrest," adding, "Please understand that it is difficult to comment on specific details as the matter is currently under investigation."

Russian state news agency TASS reported the previous day, citing judicial authorities, that as a result of operational search activities related to an espionage crime case, a South Korean national named Baek was arrested and detained in Vladivostok. According to the Russian side, Baek allegedly passed information classified as state secrets to a foreign intelligence agency. This is the first time a South Korean has been arrested on espionage charges in Russia.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A local judicial official told TASS in an interview, "Law enforcement officers detained Baek in Vladivostok earlier this year and transferred him to the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow at the end of February for investigation." It is known that the Lefortovo court in Moscow extended Baek's detention period by an additional three months. Accordingly, Baek will be detained until June 15.

If found guilty of espionage in Russia, the maximum sentence can be up to 20 years in prison. Previously, the Zaporizhzhia regional court in Russia sentenced a Ukrainian citizen to 10 years in prison on espionage charges for collecting data on the deployment of the Russian National Guard. Additionally, the Kherson regional court sentenced a Russian man to 11 years and 6 months in prison on charges of collecting data on the movement of Russian soldiers.

Major foreign media outlets reported on Russia's recent arrest of the South Korean national, stating that "Russia considers South Korea a 'non-friendly country' because South Korea supports Western sanctions against Russia related to the Ukraine war."