China detains South Korean on espionage suspicion

China detains South Korean on espionage suspicion who was involved in leaking sensitive information about semiconductors.

On October 29, 2024, China confirmed the detention of a South Korean citizen suspected of espionage. The Chinese foreign ministry, which did not disclose the identity of the accused, stated that it had informed the South Korean embassy in Beijing about the arrest. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the individual, reportedly in his 50s, was employed at a Chinese semiconductor company in Hefei when he was taken into custody in late 2023. This marks the first instance of a South Korean national being detained under the expanded counter-espionage law that was enacted in July 2023.