Case of alleged South Korean spy in Russia ‘won’t be settled soon’ amid decaying Moscow-Seoul ties

Baek Kwang-soon was arrested for allegedly passing classified information, including ‘top secret’ materials, to unspecified foreign intelligence services

The rare arrest came as relations between Seoul and Moscow have deteriorated since the Ukraine war, while ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have grown closer

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The Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:08pm, 13 Mar 2024Updated: 8:36pm, 13 Mar 2024

Russia’s arrest of a South Korean citizen accused of spying, identified as a Christian missionary helping North Koreans, has been viewed as a sign Moscow will “get tough” with Seoul as diplomatic relations between both continue to plunge.

TASS on Monday reported that Baek Won-soon, later corrected as Baek Kwang-soon, was arrested in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East earlier this year, and was the first South Korean to be jailed on espionage charges in the country.

Baek, 53, allegedly passed classified information, including “top secret” materials, to unspecified foreign intelligence services, it said.

“We were all flabbergasted at the news of his arrest as he is an innocent missionary deeply committed to spreading God’s love to the world,” a pastor at Rice of Love, a Christian charity, told This Week in Asia.

The pastor, head of the group’s philanthropic body, who identified himself only as “Centurion”, said Baek was aiding North Korean workers as well as other displaced foreigners in dire conditions.