Do Kwon to be extradited to South Korea for $60bn Terra Luna collapse after Montenegro court rejects appeal

It’s official — Montenegro authorities will extradite Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon to South Korea.

The appellate court of Montenegro rejected an appeal by Kwon’s lawyers on Wednesday, confirming the High Court’s March 6 decision to extradite Kwon to his home country.

He faces fraud charges in South Korea related to the Terra Luna collapse, which wiped out an estimated $60 billion in 2022.

Both the US and South Korea have petitioned for Kwon’s extradition.

“The court decision will be sent to the US authorities but it will not postpone the extradition. This decision is final, and the defendant will be extradited to South Korea,” Marija Rakovic, a spokesperson from the High Court, told DL News.

Kwon’s lawyer, Goran Rodic, told DL News in a statement:

”We are satisfied with the decision of the Appellate Court, which showed that the principle of the rule of law is respected, unlike other state bodies and institutions that participated in this extradition procedure.”

When speaking with DL News in February, Rodic said the Montenegro Minister of Justice had violated procedural rules during the extradition process.

The US also sought Kwon’s extradition for securities fraud and other charges, but Kwon’s lawyers appealed a court ruling to send him there.

Montenegro lawmakers determined South Korea’s request came first, and ruled to send him to his home country.

Kwon was arrested last March on a tarmac in Montenegro for possession of a fake Costa Rican passport.

Kwon pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to travel with falsified documents, but the court found the entrepreneur guilty and sentenced him to four months in prison in Montenegro.

Reach out to the authors at ana@dlnews.com or ty@dlnews.com.