News Feed

Russian media: South Korean arrested in Russia on suspicion of spying for first time

1 min read
Russian media: South Korean arrested in Russia on suspicion of spying for first time
Barbed wire is seen on top of the Lefortovo prison wall in Moscow on April 4, 2023. (Vlad Karkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A South Korean citizen has been arrested in Russia for the first time on alleged espionage charges, Russian state-owned news agency TASS said on March 11.

South Korea has provided substantial financial aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion and has repeatedly warned of North Korean arms shipments to Russia.

The South Korean, named by TASS as Paek Won-soon, was allegedly detained in Vladivostok, a city close to the border with China and North Korea, in January.

He was then reportedly transported in February from Vladivostok to Moscow, which lies over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) to the west, to carry out "investigative actions."

The South Korean citizen is suspected of passing "on information constituting state secrets to foreign intelligence services," TASS said, citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

He is now being held in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center in Moscow, and his arrest has been extended until June 15, TASS claimed.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is also currently imprisoned in Lefortovo for alleged espionage, a charge both he and the U.S. government denies.

Russian media: US citizen arrested in Russia for allegedly raising money for Ukraine
A woman with U.S. and Russian citizenship was arrested in Russia’s Yekaterinburg on treason charges, allegedly for raising funds for Ukraine’s military, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on Feb. 20, citing the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
Article image
Avatar
Elsa Court

Audience Development Manager

Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was an intern at the Kyiv Post in 2018. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.

Read more
News Feed

"It is legitimate and lawful for China to conduct normal economic, trade and energy cooperation with all countries around the world, including Russia," China's Foreign Ministry said in response to question about Russian oil purchases posed by Bloomberg. "We will continue to adopt reasonable energy security measures in accordance with our national interests."

"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that "further details will follow."

Video

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, foreigners flocked to Ukraine to join its defense against Russian forces. More than three years later, the foreign fighters who remain are a different breed — driven by a deep commitment to Ukraine.

Show More