South Korean held in Russia on espionage allegation is missionary helping the needy, his group says

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean held in Russia on an espionage allegation is a missionary dispatched there to support the needy and spread the gospel, a South Korean Christian aid group said Wednesday, calling the spying suspicion “preposterous.”

Russia’s state news agency Tass said Monday that the South Korean was detained “at the start of the year” in the eastern city of Vladivostok on suspicions that he passed state secrets to foreign intelligence services. Tass said he was the first South Korean arrested in Russia on alleged espionage.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it has been providing necessary consular services to him and communicating with Russian authorities to secure his early release. But the ministry refused to provide further details.

Over the past year, Russia has detained several foreign nationals and accused them of committing various offenses, including Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter.

On Wednesday, the Global Love Rice Sharing Foundation, a Christian relief agency near Seoul, said the man is its sole missionary in Vladivostok. It said his job was providing clothes, medicines and daily necessities to underprivileged people there, including poor foreign workers, while working to evangelize them.

“The espionage allegation totally doesn’t make sense … and is preposterous,” the Rev. Lee SeonKu, leader of the aid foundation, said.

Lee identified the man only by his family name Baek, saying he has used an alias in Vladivostok. He said Baek had been doing missionary work in the Russian city for four years starting after he was deported from China. Lee said he last communicated with Baek in late December.

South Korean media reported that Baek gave assistance to North Korean workers