South Korean held in Russia for spying did humanitarian work, aid group says

SOUTH KOREA: A South Korean missionary arrested by Russia on prices of spying was despatched to do purely humanitarian and missionary work and had no position in serving to North Korean staff defect, the top of his Christian help group mentioned. Ties between Russia and South Korea have been more and more strained by Moscow’s rising relations with North Korea amid accusations that Pyongyang has provided munitions for the warfare in Ukraine. The case was the primary involving a South Korean arrested in Russia on accusations of espionage, Russian state information company TASS mentioned, giving his identify as Baek Kwang-soon, 53, though in an English-language report it used the identify Baek Gained-soon. However the accusation of espionage was “completely absurd” and “utterly unfaithful”, mentioned Rev Lee Solar-gu, chief of the World Love Rice Sharing Basis, which lists Baek on its web site as the top of its mission within the Russian metropolis of Vladivostok. “He was a conscientious and deeply non secular particular person appointed by the group to assist migrant labourers, the poor and other people in hardship,” Lee advised Reuters. “Fifty % of our work is aiding the needy and fifty % of our work is mission. That is it,” he mentioned, including that the group, based mostly within the port metropolis of Incheon, despatched drugs and garments to Russia to help Baek. “It’s very absurd and I feel it is some sort of a setup,” Lee mentioned of the espionage cost. Lee final heard from Baek on Dec. 30 through a cellular message providing new greetings and wishing him good well being, although the latter didn’t learn or reply to a Jan 24 message from Lee. TASS quoted legislation enforcement businesses as saying Baek had been detained within the far japanese metropolis of Vladivostok earlier than being transferred to Moscow for “investigative actions”. Lee mentioned Kwang-soon was an alias utilized by Baek, according to a customized amongst missionaries who work in sure international locations. Baek used to work in China earlier than transferring to Vladivostok, Lee mentioned. Lee denied a report by South Korean information company Yonhap, quoting an unnamed acquaintance, that mentioned Baek or the group helped North Korean labourers in Russia to defect. “Under no circumstances,” he mentioned. “We have now no data of such actions, and if we had identified that is what he was doing, we might not have permitted it. That sort of factor would put our missionaries vulnerable to arrest and getting used for political functions.” The help group, which has 1000’s of members, will begin a marketing campaign to free Baek and petition the South Korean authorities and the Russian embassy for his launch, Lee mentioned. Baek’s arrest was more likely to intimidate missionaries serving to North Koreans at residence or abroad, he added. U.S. and South Korean officers have voiced concern that Russia has accepted new teams of North Korean staff in defiance of a U.N. decision as ties with Pyongyang blossomed. A 2017 U.N. Safety Council decision gave international locations till 2019 to expel North Korean staff on the grounds that their labour was exploited to earn international forex for North Korea’s banned nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. However 1000’s reportedly stay in China and Russia. Lee’s basis vets and appoints missionaries working in 69 international locations after suggestions by church buildings, he mentioned. South Korea had 21,917 long-term missionaries working in 174 international locations by 2023, one of many highest such figures worldwide, along with Brazil and america, surveys present. South Korea is speaking with Russia for Baek’s return, a international ministry spokesperson mentioned on Tuesday. For the reason that Ukraine warfare started in February 2022, South Korea has urged residents in a particular advisory to not journey to Russia.