Suspect in the virtual currency ``Terra Luna'' crash case may be extradited to South Korea...Montenegro Court of Appeal invalidates extradition to the US

There is a possibility that Terraform Labs CEO Kwon DoHyoung (32), the suspect in the virtual currency ``Terra Luna'' crash case, will be extradited to South Korea. Court of Appeal of Montenegro on the 7th
(local time), local media reported that the Podgorica High Court's decision to allow Kwon's extradition to the United States was reversed and a retrial was ordered. The final decision will be based on the Montenegrin law.
The administrative department will make the decision. However, Montenegro's Justice Minister, who has final approval authority, is placing emphasis on extradition to the United States, and it is unclear whether he will accept the judicial branch's decision as is.
On the 5th of this month, the Court of Appeal of Montenegro accepted Kwon's appeal and overruled the Podgorica High Court's decision to extradite him to the United States.
and ordered a retrial. At the time, the lower court found that the U.S. government's official letter was one day earlier than South Korea's, but the appeals court said, ``The South Korean Ministry of Justice sent an email in English on March 24 last year requesting extradition, and the U.S.
It was three days earlier." The Court of Appeal ruled that the Podgorica High Court overturned the decision to extradite Kwon to the United States. Regarding the basis for deciding to send it to Korea
Although it was not made clear, the order in which the extradition requests were made appears to have had a decisive influence. Montenegrin's Legal Department will determine the order of extradition requests, the seriousness of the crime, the location of the crime, and the identity of the offender.
The extradition country will be decided based on comprehensive consideration of nationality and other factors. However, although the judicial process has been completed, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Kwon will actually be sent back to South Korea. Bloomba
Montenegro's Minister of Justice has the final approval authority in relation to extradition proceedings, News Agency reported. Justice Minister Andrei Mirovich said, ``The United States is our most important
He is said to be placing emphasis on going to the United States, saying, "We are a partner in foreign policy." If Montenegro's Ministry of Justice approves Mr. Kwon's repatriation to South Korea, it will notify the South Korean Ministry of Justice and provide specific details.
They will discuss extradition procedures. Mr. Kwon's local lawyer, Goran Rodic, has previously argued that Mr. Kwon should be extradited to South Korea.
. This is due to the difference in maximum sentences between South Korea and the United States. In South Korea, the maximum penalty for economic crimes is approximately 40 years. On the other hand, the United States has adopted a system of multiple convictions in which punishments are imposed for each individual crime and summed up.
Higher prison sentences are also possible. Mr. Kwon fled Singapore in April 2022, just before the incident occurred, and went to Montenegro via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Serbia.
I entered the country. He was arrested on March 23 last year as he tried to board a private plane to Dubai with a fake passport. Meanwhile, the CEO of Terraform Labs, who was arrested at the same time as Mr. Kwon,
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Han Chang-joon has already been repatriated to South Korea, where he remains in custody and is undergoing trial.