Extradition planned for murder suspect

The lawyer of a man wanted in South Korea in relation to three murders, says the man wants to go home and is not opposing extradition.

Sungkwan Kim is a New Zealand resident who left South Korea after his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old halfbrother were killed.

The 33-year-old arrived in Auckland on October 24 and was arrested on October 29 in relation to historic alleged theft.

When he appeared in court over the theft charge on November 1, an application for an arrest warrant was granted. It has been filed by Crown Law on behalf of South Korean officials.

Kim’s lawyer Joon Yi said extradition was the next step and was just a matter of paperwork. Yi said Kim wasn’t opposing extradition and would cooperate with whatever decisions were made.

‘‘He’s keen to go back [to Korea].’’

Yi said the Ministry of Justice and Korean Government were discussing the extradition process and he wasn’t sure when that might occur.

‘‘There’s a 45-day window, but we’re hoping for it to be earlier.’’

Yi said the extradition request needed to be signed off by the justice minister.

The 45-day window is incorporated into a treaty on extradition between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand, which said, if a request for extradition wasn’t presented within 45 days of arrest, the person would be ‘‘set at liberty’’.

In Korea, the bodies of two of the victims were found at their home on Wednesday, October 18 with multiple stab wounds. A kitchen knife was reportedly found beside them.

The third body was found the following day in the boot of a rented vehicle in a parking lot in Gangwon Province, the Korea Herald reported.

In court, Emma Hoskin from Crown Law said: ‘‘Mr Kim is an extraditable person in relation to an extraditable country and the charges are extradition offences.’’

Judge Dawson granted the warrant application, with no objection.

Kim also pleaded guilty to the theft charge and was remanded in custody until sentencing on December 1. But Yi said that could be brought forward, depending on how soon the extradition request was received and finalised.

The 2015 theft was from a flat where Kim was living and was of three appliances worth $4100.

ZIZI SPARKS/STUFF A warrant to arrest Sungkwan Kim was granted to Crown Law and Kim will shortly be extradited.