Russia arrests first South Korean citizen on suspicion of spying

A source familiar with the TASS news agency said today, March 11, that Russia has arrested a South Korean citizen on charges of espionage.

This is also the first time Russia has detained a South Korean national on charges of collecting sensitive information. The detainee was identified as Baek Won-soon, according to the source .

During the investigation of the espionage case, the man was detained in Vladivostok by court order, according to TASS.

TASS: Nga bắt công dân Hàn Quốc đầu tiên nghi làm gián điệp- Ảnh 1. — Russian police have arrested Baek Won-soon on suspicion of espionage.

Police later transferred Mr. Baek to Moscow for further investigation. Sources revealed that the subject had passed on classified information to foreign intelligence agencies. The documents sold were marked "top secret".

The South Korean citizen was detained in Vladivostok earlier this year and transferred to Moscow in late February. He is currently being held in Lefortovo Prison. On March 11, the court extended his arrest for another three months, until June 15.

The above information was also published by The Korea Herald . Meanwhile, the Korean Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on this issue.

Espionage is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Russia, which designated South Korea an “unfriendly state” in 2022 after Seoul imposed sanctions against Moscow over its military campaign in neighboring Ukraine, AFP reported.

Since then, the Kremlin has built closer economic and military ties with North Korea, Seoul's arch-rival.

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