Do Kwon Cleared For Extradition Second Time, Where’s Destination?

The High Court in Montenegro, after re-evaluating the upturn of Do Kwon’s extradition to South Korea by the Local Supreme Court, has ruled that the legal requirements to send the embattled Terraform Labs co-founder to either the United States or Korea have been fulfilled. 

The Do Kwon Extradition Saga

The Montenegro High Court cleared Do Kwon, the key figure involved in the cryptocurrency Terra Luna crash, for extradition per the latest sitting this week. One major twist at the moment was that the court was not explicit on whether he should be sent to the US or South Korea. 

Notably, in the last few months, there has been a lot of back and forth about where the former crypto CEO should be extradited to, considering that he has criminal charges against him in both the two countries under contention for him. 

In the first week of March, a High Court in Montenegro ruled that Do Kwon should be extradited to South Korea. This was a reversal of an initial motion by another court in Montenegro that Kwon be extradited to the U.S. 

The contention came as his projected extradition to his native town was not supported by Montenegrin prosecutors who outrightly refused to accept the court’s verdict. This necessitated a review of the South Korean ruling.

Supreme Court Puts US At An Advantage

Per the complex turn in the Do Kwon extradition and ruling, Prosecutors demand a review from the Supreme Court on the extradition. These lawyers cited procedural irregularities in handling extradition requests from both the United States and South Korea. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 

“The United States continues to seek Kwon’s extradition in accordance with relevant international and bilateral agreements and Montenegrin law. The United States appreciates the cooperation of the Montenegrin authorities in ensuring that all individuals are subject to the rule of law.”

Upon reviewing the motion, the Supreme Court chose to overturn the South Korea extradition ruling. The court emphasized the need for a thorough evaluation by the High Court in Podgorica. 

While the decision of his final extradition destination has not been concluded and has been left to the discretion of Minister of Justice Andrej Milovic, the verdict of the Supreme Court places the U.S. at an advantage in this matter.

Per a statement from the Supreme Court, “The decision to approve or prioritize extradition of criminals should be made by the competent minister, not the court.”