MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Moscow hopes that the incident involving the arrest of a South Korean citizen charged with espionage will not sour relations with Seoul, but this case requires a detailed review, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS.

"This issue was discussed [with Seoul]; we are aware of the situation. We hope that this will not affect our bilateral relations. But, of course, this case requires a detailed review," the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

Baek Kwang-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 for three months, until June 15. According to a law enforcement source, Baek Kwang-soon passed classified information to foreign intelligence services. The materials in the foreigner's criminal case were classified as "top secret."

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the question of providing consular access to the South Korean citizen is currently in the works.