Last-Minute Variable in Do Kwon's Trip to Korea...Montenegro Prosecutors File Objection

A last-minute variable has emerged in the repatriation of Kwon Do-hyung, CEO of Terraform Labs and a key figure in the 'Terra·Luna' crash incident, to Korea. This comes as the Montenegro prosecution has raised objections to the court's decision.

The Montenegro Prosecutor General's Office announced on the 21st (local time) via an official statement on its website that it has requested the Supreme Court to review the legality of procedural issues raised by the Court of Appeal and the High Court.

The Prosecutor General's Office claimed, "The court proceeded with the extradition process for Mr. Kwon in a summary manner rather than through the regular procedure, which is against the law," and added, "The court overstepped its authority by making a decision on the extradition office, which is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Minister of Justice." They also pointed out the issue that the Court of Appeal did not hear the opinion of the Prosecutor General's Office prosecutor during the appeal trial, requesting that "the Supreme Court judge the legality and issue a ruling to change the court's decision."

Accordingly, the repatriation schedule of Mr. Kwon, which was expected to Korea this weekend, may also be subject to change. The judicial procedure of the Montenegro court, which seemed to have ended with the confirmation of the original ruling by the Court of Appeal the previous day, has entered a new phase with the Prosecutor General's Office's objection on this day. Initially, the Montenegro court decided to extradite Mr. Kwon to the United States, but after Mr. Kwon's appeal, the Court of Appeal overturned this decision, resulting in the decision for him to go to Korea.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Prosecutor General's Office, the authority to decide on the extradition office for Mr. Kwon will rest with the Minister of Justice. The Montenegro government has openly expressed its preference for Mr. Kwon to go to the United States. Andrija Milovi?, Minister of Justice, stated in a local broadcast interview in November last year, "The United States is our most important foreign policy partner."

Bloomberg reported, "Depending on the outcome, a path may open for the Montenegro government authorities to extradite Kwon Do-hyung to the United States as they prefer." Some analysts suggest that the U.S. Department of Justice, which has not given up on securing Mr. Kwon's custody, may have pressured the Montenegro government through various channels.

On the other hand, Mr. Kwon has hoped to go to Korea, where the sentence is much lighter than in the United States. In Korea, the maximum sentence for economic crimes is about 30 years, whereas the U.S. adopts a consecutive sentencing system that adds up sentences for individual crimes, making imprisonment of over 100 years possible. Mr. Kwon, who was sentenced to four months in prison for using a forged passport and is currently serving his sentence, will complete his term on the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.