Extradition of Terra Co-Founder Do Kwon to South Korea Is Obtained by the Chief Prosecutor of Montenegro

The extradition of Terra co-founder Do Kwon to South Korea has been halted, per CoinDesk, due to a legal challenge lodged by the chief prosecutor of Montenegro. Kwon has been detained in Montenegrin territory since March 2023, subsequent to his apprehension and incarceration for traversing Dubai on counterfeit Costa Rican documents. Montenegrin authorities are currently evaluating conflicting extradition demands for Kwon, which originate from both his country of origin, South Korea, and the United States, where he is additionally confronted with criminal charges. According to reports, Kwon was missing for several months after the Terra ecosystem and Terraform Labs, valued at $40 billion, collapsed in May 2022.

The pending extradition to South Korea of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon has reportedly been halted in light of a legal challenge filed Thursday by the chief prosecutor of Montenegro. According to a translated statement released on Thursday, the Office of the Supreme State Prosecutor of Montenegro stated that the High Court's choice to extradite Kwon to his home country of South Korea rather than the United States, and the subsequent confirmation by the appellate court, did so through "abbreviated proceedings" that exceeded the jurisdiction of the office. The statement states that the authority to grant permission for Kwon's extradition rests exclusively with the minister of justice of the country. The statement does not explicitly identify Kwon by name; rather, it refers to him as "a citizen of the Republic of South Korea."

A year ago, Montenegro became unintentionally embroiled in a power struggle between South Korea and the United States when Han Chang-joon, a colleague of Kwon's, was apprehended and incarcerated for attempting to reach Dubai using counterfeit Costa Rican passports. Following a'red notice' for his apprehension from Interpol and a $40 billion implosion of his company, Terraform Labs, and the Terra ecosystem, Kwon was apprehended six and ten months, respectively. Although Kwon is indicted on criminal charges in both the United States and South Korea, he has resisted extradition ever since his apprehension by unsuccessfully appealing multiple court decisions. In February, Han was extradited to South Korea, and Kwon appeared positioned to follow suit. Goran Rodic, Kwon's Montenegrin attorney, told CoinDesk that it was probable he would be extradited to South Korea following March 23. However, both that date and Kwon's final destination remain uncertain. This is a work in progress that will be revised.