'Tera·Luna' Kwon Do-hyung's Return to Korea Confirmed... Arrival Expected Around 23rd-24th (Summary)

Kwon Do-hyung, the key figure in the 'Terra·Luna' crash incident, will ultimately face investigation and trial in Korea. He is expected to enter the country as early as around the 23rd or 24th.

The Montenegro Court of Appeal announced on the 20th (local time) that it dismissed Kwon's legal team's appeal and confirmed the Podgorica High Court's decision to extradite him to Korea. With the appellate court upholding the original ruling, the judicial process regarding Kwon's extradition by the Montenegro judiciary has concluded.

The appellate court explained, "The original court (High Court) decided to extradite Kwon Do-hyung to Korea based on the fact that Korea's request for extradition arrived before that of the United States," adding, "This is an appropriate application of Article 26 of the Act on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, which applies when multiple countries request the extradition of the same individual."

Accordingly, only the administrative procedures related to Kwon's extradition to Korea remain. The Montenegro Ministry of Justice is expected to officially notify the Korean Ministry of Justice of Kwon's extradition soon and discuss the specific schedule and procedures for the transfer of custody. Since Kwon's prison term is set to expire on the 23rd, it is anticipated that he will board a flight to Korea on the 23rd or 24th. Bloomberg News also reported that Kwon's transfer of custody could take place as early as this weekend (23rd?24th).

Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, disappeared after leaving for Singapore in April 2022, just before the 'Terra·Luna' crash incident erupted. He then traveled through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Serbia before arriving in Montenegro, where he was arrested on March 23 of last year at a local airport while attempting to board a private plane to Dubai, UAE, carrying a fake Costa Rican passport. Initially, the Montenegro court had ordered Kwon's extradition to the United States, but after Kwon's appeal, the appellate court overturned this decision, resulting in his extradition to Korea.

Goran Rodic, Kwon's legal representative in Montenegro, told the Associated Press, "We are satisfied with the appellate court's decision," adding, "It is a binding decision, and according to the law, the Ministries of Justice of Montenegro and Korea will coordinate with the relevant police authorities to determine the time, place, and conditions of the handover." Bloomberg News evaluated this decision as a victory for Kwon and his legal team, who preferred extradition to Korea, where sentences for white-collar crimes are lighter than in the United States. However, it is also anticipated that even if Kwon is extradited to Korea, the Korean government could negotiate with the United States to have him tried there first.

Meanwhile, Han Chang-jun, Terraform Labs' Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who was arrested alongside Kwon in Montenegro, was extradited to Korea last month and has been indicted while in custody.