South Korean held in Russia for spying was a missionary, say media reports

A South Korean citizen arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage was a missionary who supported North Korean labourers based in Russia’s Far East, South Korean media reports said on Tuesday.
The man, named as Baek Won-soon, was transferred from Vladivostok to Moscow and is accused of handing over classified information to foreign intelligence agencies, Russian state news agency Tass reported.
Baek, 53, was described as a “deeply religious” person who was also registered as the founder of a travel company based in Vladivostok, according to Tass.
It was the first time a South Korean has been detained in Russia for alleged espionage, Tass said.
South Korean television network JTBC said Baek had travelled to Vladivostok from China earlier this year to carry out missionary work for North Korean workers in Russia.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said its consulate had been providing assistance since it became aware of the arrest. It declined to give more details as the matter was currently under investigation.