'Son Jeong-woo, Operator of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Site, Transferred to Seoul... Forced Repatriation Procedures Expected'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Son Jung-woo (24), the operator of the world's largest child sexual exploitation site "Welcome to Video," was recently transferred from Busan to Seoul to undergo the extradition process to the United States.

According to correctional authorities on the 24th, Son was moved from Busan Prison in Gangseo-gu, Busan, to Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, the day before. This move appears to be for the extradition review soon to be conducted at the Seoul High Court.

The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office filed a detention warrant for extradition against Son with the Seoul High Court on the 17th and obtained the warrant on the 20th.

Under the Criminal Extradition Act, the prosecution must request an extradition review from the Seoul High Court within three days of detaining Son under the extradition detention warrant. Accordingly, the extradition review request is expected to be made before the 30th.

The Seoul High Court must promptly begin the extradition review and decide on the extradition within two months. The extradition review is a single-instance procedure with no appeal process.

Son was arrested and indicted in March 2018 on charges including production and distribution of obscene materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, but was sentenced in the first trial to two years in prison with a three-year probation and released.

However, in the second trial, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and was detained in court. Son then withdrew his appeal to the Supreme Court, and after his sentence was finalized in May last year, he has been serving his sentence at Busan Prison.

Son was originally scheduled to be released on the 27th upon completion of his sentence, but he will remain detained in the detention center without release due to the extradition process to the United States.

The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, which has jurisdiction over the criminal extradition case, plans to execute the extradition detention warrant through the police at midnight on the 27th.

After the court grants extradition approval and the Minister of Justice gives consent, the U.S. enforcement agency will enter Korea within a month to take custody of the individual.

Since April last year, the Korean Ministry of Justice has been reviewing the forced extradition plan for Son at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice under the criminal extradition treaty. The Ministry of Justice decided to extradite Son only on charges related to "international money laundering" under the criminal extradition treaty.

The U.S. prosecution indicted Son in August 2018 in a U.S. court on nine charges, including distribution of child pornography.