S. Korean national arrested in Russia for espionage

한국인, 러시아서 간첩 혐의 첫 체포 모스크바에 구금 Russian media has announced that a South Korean national has been arrested in Russia for spying. This is the first reported case involving a South Korean. Our Ahn Sung-jin brings the details. Russia has announced that it has arrested a South Korean national on suspicion of espionage. Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on Monday that a man with the last name of “Baek“ had been detained in the city of Vladivostok early this year and was transferred to Moscow last month for further investigation. It is the first reported arrest of a South Korean for alleged spying in Russia. Baek’s detention period is until June 15th. No details have been provided on the nature of the alleged spying other than “Baek“ allegedly being responsible for gathering and handing over intelligence to a foreign intelligence agency. Russian state media said that the South Korean citizen is being held inside Lefortovo, an infamous Russian prison where American Wall Street Journalist Evan Gershkovich was also held. Those convicted for espionage can face up to 20 years imprisonment in Russia. The Foreign Ministry of South Korea said that though further details cannot be provided as it is an on-going investigation, they are providing necessary support through the consulate in Russia. Baek is allegedly a civilian affiliated with the religious sector and entered Vladivostok through China in January. His wife had also been initially arrested, but has been released and is currently in South Korea. Russia has designated South Korea as an “unfriendly“ country following Seoul’s support for Western sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine. If Baek’s release is further delayed or if he is convicted, this may lead to closer ties between Russia and North Korea, threatening the security on the peninsula. Amid rising security threats, the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service spokesperson noted that one-third of Russian diplomats in Switzerland are spies, making Geneva one of the most crucial hubs for information gathering. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News. #Russia #SouthKorean_national #spying #espionage #TASS #Baek #러시아 #한국인_간첩혐의 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-03-12, 09:00 (KST)