South Korea : As Beijing increases its vigilance against alleged threats to national security, Beijing confirmed on Tuesday that it had detained a South Korean citizen for alleged spying.
Citing diplomatic sources in Seoul, the Yonhap news service in South Korea reported on Monday that the man in his 50s had been held by Chinese authorities since late last year.
It stated that under a revised anti-espionage law, Chinese prosecutors had formally detained him “a few months ago.” This was the first time a South Korean national had been the target of such a case.
On Tuesday, a South Korean citizen was arrested “on suspicions of espionage by relevant Chinese authorities in accordance with the law,” as the Beijing foreign ministry confirmed.
At a regular news briefing in Beijing, ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated, “Relevant authorities have… provided the necessary expedience for (South Korean embassy officials to perform their consular duties.”
He did not specify the man’s identity or the alleged offenses he was accused of.
Yonhap reports that the unidentified individual was residing in the eastern city of Hefei at the time of his detention and works for a Chinese semiconductor company.
He is said to be under suspicion by Chinese authorities for leaking confidential information about semiconductors, which are powerful microchips that frequently exacerbate trade tensions between Beijing and Western rivals.
China’s changed enemy of secret activities regulation came into force in July 2023, broadening the meaning of spying and prohibiting the exchange of any information connected with what specialists characterize as public safety.
