North Korea Expert Detained by Latvia Police During Academic Lecture

A well-known Russian academic who specializes in North Korean studies was arrested by Latvian authorities while giving a university lecture. Andrei Lankov, who teaches at a Seoul university and holds dual Russian-Australian citizenship, was placed on Latvia's blacklist for unclear reasons.

A respected Russian academic known for his expertise on North Korea was taken into custody by Latvian police while presenting a lecture, according to reports from Russian news outlets.

Andrei Lankov, who serves as a history professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, verified to Russian business publication RBK that law enforcement officers interrupted his North Korea presentation and subsequently added him to the nation’s prohibited persons list. He was later transferred to immigration authorities, though the specific grounds for his arrest remain unclear. The incident was also covered by Russia’s Tass news service.

Speaking to RBK around 11 p.m. Moscow time, Lankov reported that he remained in detention, noting that legal representatives were handling his case while friends assisted with practical matters.

Representatives from Kookmin University in South Korea confirmed they were monitoring the developing situation involving their faculty member. Attempts to reach Lankov directly through his mobile phone were unsuccessful.

Born in what was then Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Lankov spent considerable time in North Korea during the 1980s as part of an exchange program and has dedicated his academic career to studying the isolated nation. After working in South Korea and Australia during the 1990s, he relocated to Seoul in 2004 to begin his current teaching position. He maintains citizenship in both Russia and Australia.

The scholar has gained recognition for his pragmatic analysis of North Korea, frequently characterizing the regime as a calculating government that maximizes scarce resources while playing major world powers against each other for survival. He has also publicly criticized Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and Moscow’s deployment of North Korean forces in support of its military operations.

Earlier this year in April, a Moscow court allegedly imposed a fine of 10,000 rubles (approximately $130) on Lankov for participating in activities connected to an organization deemed “undesirable” by Russian authorities. At that time, Lankov informed RBK that journalists had been the source of his information about the legal proceedings.