South Korean Arrested in Russia on Espionage Charges Turns Out to be Missionary Who Helped Rescue North Korean Defectors

The Korean man arrested in Vladivostok, Russia, on charges of espionage, is reported to be a missionary who has been involved in rescue activities for North Korean defectors in the area.

According to Yonhap News on the 12th, Korean missionary Baek entered Russia from China earlier this year and was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service while conducting ministry activities for North Korean workers. He primarily engaged in North Korean-related activities in the far eastern region of Russia such as Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, where it is known that tens of thousands of North Korean workers have been dispatched to logging and construction sites.

An acquaintance who heard the news of his arrest said Baek has been involved in rescuing defectors, humanitarian aid, and missionary work. Baek, known to be in his late 40s to early 50s, had little interaction with other affiliated missionaries because he did not join the Yanbian Missionary Association. However, he is known to have supported North Korean laborers and others by traveling back and forth between China, Yanbian, Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, and Khabarovsk for nearly a decade.

Unlike members of the Missionary Association who officially receive religious visas, there are rumors that Baek operated a business to obtain a visa that would allow him to stay in Russia for a long time. TASS reported that Baek has been a director of the travel agency Bely Kamen, which has an office in Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, since 2020. According to media reports, in addition to the travel business, Bely Kamen was also involved in construction work, medical services, restaurants, and trade in shoes, salt, and sugar.

The government has announced that it is providing necessary consular assistance in response to the arrest of a Korean missionary in Russia on charges of espionage. At a regular briefing on the same day, Lim Soo Suk, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said, “Our consulate in the area has been providing necessary consular assistance as soon as we became aware of the arrest of our citizen.” He added, “With the hope that our citizen can return safely to their family as soon as possible, the government is conducting a necessary conversion.” Regarding plans to dispatch staff from the headquarters to Russia, Lim said, “There are no specific plans yet,” and “There is sufficient diplomatic personnel at the local consulate.”