north korean consulate in Vladivostok faces disappearance claims

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News reports circulating on the Baza Telegram channel claim that the wife and son of a North Korean diplomatic official in Vladivostok vanished. The individuals named include Pak Kwon-joo, a 15-year-old, and Kim Kum Sun, 43, along with the 62-year-old Consul General Choi Yong Nam. The report suggests the family members may be connected to the North Korean Consulate General in Vladivostok located on Nevskaya Street.

According to the account, on June 4 a young woman boarded a taxi on the grounds of the consulate. After that moment, she and her son were not seen again, and their mobile phones were unreachable. Investigators located the taxi driver who had transported them and confirmed through security footage that the passengers were dropped off on Russkaya Street near a cinema.

Sources from the Telegram channel speculate that the woman might have fled with her child to China or South Korea. Law enforcement officials indicated that after the taxi ride the relatives of the consulate employee entered another vehicle and could have proceeded toward Khabarovsk.

The channel also asserts that Kim Kum Sun and Pak Kwon Ju left the consulate building carrying three boxes believed to contain personal belongings. On the morning of June 7, a source cited by TASS stated that the wife and son of the Vladivostok consul general had not disappeared and that reports of their disappearance were misinformation from unnamed agencies.

Meanwhile, officials from the Investigative Committee of Russia have opened a criminal case concerning the disappearance of two people in Vladivostok, described as a mother and her son. In some media reports dated June 4, 2023, it was claimed that a North Korean woman and her 15-year-old son vanished in Primorsky Territory. Investigators from the Primorsky District launched a case based on those allegations.

Local social media circulated notices seeking the two North Korean nationals. The Primorsky regional public organization PrimPoisk published notices that described Kim Kum Sun as aged 43 and Pak Kwon Ju as 15, noting that they left the area around the DPRK Consulate General on June 4, 2023, with their last known locations at Nevskaya Street and nearby streets. The notices described what the woman and the student were wearing at the time, a white shirt with black trousers for the woman and a black windbreaker with gray trousers for the boy.

A Vl aif.ru correspondent spoke with Kristina Wulfert, coordinator of the non-governmental organization PrimPoisk, who explained that information about the disappearance originated from employees of the Investigative Committee in Primorsky Krai. Later, those posts were reported as deleted following requests from officials representing the United Kingdom, according to the interview source.

Requests for official confirmation were sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Andrey Brovarets, a spokesman for the ministry in Vladivostok, indicated that no formal appeal regarding the two missing North Korean nationals had been received and that the agency had not launched any action on the case.

In this developing situation, law enforcement and regional authorities are continuing to investigate the events surrounding the reported disappearance, while media reports and social media posts reflect a range of conflicting details and unverified claims. The case remains under scrutiny as officials verify alibis, review surveillance data, and determine the next steps in the inquiry. Citations of the coverage include reports from the Baza Telegram channel and official statements cited by TASS and the Investigative Committee, with additional input from local NGOs and regional officials.

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