Seoul:A foreign correspondents' club based in Seoul has expressed deep concern regarding Russia's detention of a Japanese journalist accused of espionage. The club emphasized the importance of respecting legitimate journalistic activities.

According to Yonhap News Agency, last month, Russia's Federal Security Service detained a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper in the Sakhalin region on espionage charges. The Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club (SFCC) highlighted in a statement the fundamental role of gathering information in the public interest in journalism, stating that legitimate newsgathering and reporting must be respected and that any threats to a journalist's personal safety cannot be justified.

The SFCC called on Russian authorities to ensure the detained journalist's physical safety and legal rights and to clearly state the reasons for the detention. The journalist has since been transferred to Moscow, where a court has ordered pretrial detention, as reported by foreign media outlets.