China Confirms Arrest of Korean on 'Anti-Espionage Law' Charges: "According to the Law"

The Chinese government has stated its position of 'arrest in accordance with the law' regarding the case of a Korean national arrested on espionage charges.

Lin Zhen, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a briefing on the afternoon of the 29th, "This Korean citizen was arrested by relevant Chinese authorities on charges of espionage," adding, "The relevant departments have notified the Korean Embassy in China through consular channels and provided necessary conveniences for the consular officers to perform their duties." Lin emphasized, "China is a country governed by law, and illegal criminal activities were detected according to the law, while simultaneously guaranteeing all legitimate rights of the individual involved."

According to diplomatic sources, Mr. A, a Korean resident in his 50s living in Hefei City, Anhui Province, China, was arrested on espionage charges at the end of last year. This is the first case of a Korean national being detained since the enactment of the amended Anti-Espionage Law, which significantly expanded the scope of punishable offenses, effective from July last year.

Chinese investigative authorities are reportedly suspicious that Mr. A, who worked at a Chinese semiconductor company, leaked semiconductor-related information to Korea. Mr. A, formerly of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, worked at three to four major Chinese semiconductor companies, including Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT), the largest memory company in China, since 2016. However, Mr. A has denied having access rights to core semiconductor technologies in China.

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