MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Russia is working closely with South Korea to provide consular access to Baek Won-soon, who was arrested on charges of espionage, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry is in close contact with the South Korean side on this subject. At the request of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Moscow, the possibility of consular access to the detained citizen of the Republic of Korea, whose name is Baek Won-soon, is being explored," the diplomat said at a news conference. "Given that he is suspected of committing acts that fall under the article for espionage, all additional information about the course of the investigation is confidential."

"As for the impact on bilateral relations, unfortunately, we have recently seen a lot of things from Seoul that can indeed be qualified as actions that go against the interests of the peoples of the two countries and, to put it mildly, do not contribute to the development of bilateral relations," Zakharova said. "With respect to this subject and its impact on bilateral relations, countries occasionally go through different difficult times and periods."

"The question is how prepared these countries are ready for a mutually respectful dialogue to discuss these difficult issues, and, most importantly, everything depends on the determination of countries to resolve these difficult issues in an effective and mutually respectful manner," the spokeswoman said. "For our part, we always prioritize this approach, namely the mutually respectful treatment of other countries.

Baek Won-soon was arrested in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East in early 2024. He was transferred to Moscow in late February and is currently being held in custody at the Lefortovo detention center. On March 11, Moscow’s Lefortovo Court extended his term of detention by three months, until June 15.

According to a law enforcement source, Baek Won-soon passed classified information to foreign intelligence services. The materials in the foreigner's criminal case were classified as "top secret.".