Montenegro is set to extradite Do Kwon to South Korea, as declared by the country’s appellate court today, which has rejected both Kwon’s appeal and the United States’ claim for extradition.
The rejection of Do Kwon’s appeal upholds the prior decision by the High Court to extradite him to South Korea, which had also turned down an extradition plea from the US.
Earlier this month, the US Justice Department expressed its intention to persist with the extradition despite the legal proceedings.
The appellate court emphasized that the Republic of South Korea’s extradition request preceded that of the US, establishing precedence based on the order of arrival.
Moreover, the court highlighted a significant procedural point, stating that the state prosecutor lacks the right to appeal, hence reinforcing the finality of their decision.
This development marks a potential conclusion to the legal tumult surrounding Do Kwon’s detention in Montenegro and the extradition process. The saga began in March 2023 when Kwon was apprehended while attempting to flee to Dubai. Since then, the extradition process has been mired in a series of appeals, approvals, and subsequent appeals, undergoing no less than seven status changes since November 2023.
Do Kwon faces numerous fraud charges in connection with the billion-dollar collapse of Terra and Luna, which precipitated a significant crash in the crypto market in May 2022.
In essence, Montenegro’s decision, rooted in legal precedence and procedural clarity, appears poised to bring closure to a protracted legal battle with international ramifications, while South Korea awaits the extradition of Do Kwon to face the charges against him.