Alleged victim ‘puzzled’ as extradition of Korean diplomat accused of sexual assault seems unlikely

The prospect of extraditing a Korean diplomat accused of sexually assaulting an employee of the New Zealand embassy appears to have evaporated, leaving the alleged victim “baffled”.

The Wellington man, a member of the South Korean embassy staff, has alleged that he was sexually assaulted by South Korean diplomat Hongkon Kim before the diplomat left the country in early 2018.

Despite a request for cooperation from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to South Korean President Moon Jae-In, described Monday by Ardern as “one of the most important actions” he could take, New Zealand officials appear to have halted efforts to continue charges.

The man who Things agreed not to name, said he felt those with power were trying to “make it go away.”

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Police charged Kim with three counts of indecent assault in February. Kim was returned to South Korea from a post in the Philippines after the accusations sparked a diplomatic problem in the country, opening up the possibility of New Zealand police seeking extradition.

But Ardern apparently confirmed on Monday that an extradition request would not be carried out, though he said “it was not a decision made by me.”

“Not that I was advised … I would like to think that when you look at the range of options that we had before us, we took one of the most important that was available and raised it directly with the president,” Ardern said at a conference post-Cabinet press release.

“I would not want to convey that incorrectly, but if it was an option that obviously could have been pursued, if it was the option that was in front of the officials, I imagine it would have been chosen.”

A police spokeswoman again declined to comment on the case on Monday, instead providing the same email statement that was given in August.

“While this matter remains before the court, we are not in a position to comment and also, for privacy reasons, we would not comment on whether or not a person will be extradited.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said it would not comment on a police investigation.

The alleged victim said he was “puzzled” by Ardern’s comments, as he understood that the police could request extradition if Kim’s alleged actions fell within the scope of criminal actions in South Korea.

If you cannot be extradited, tell us why. There must be an investigation into this, ”said the victim.

“This is an insult to Tania Billingsley,” he said, referring to the conviction of Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail.

A military attaché to the Malaysian High Commission, Rizalman was sentenced in 2014 to nine months of house arrest for the indecent assault on Billingsley. The attache returned to New Zealand to face the charges after a public outcry in both New Zealand and Malaysia.

The man said Billingsley had supported him and wanted to move forward with the incident.

“It is necessary to exhaust the justice processes. If the courts decide that Kim is not guilty, I will respect the court’s decision, ”he said.

He said the months-long fight for a resolution had taken its toll.

“I cannot sleep at night, the continuous stress, the anxiety … My sense of self-worth has been destroyed, I no longer trust the processes of justice.”

In August, a South Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported that a foreign ministry official said the country could cooperate with an extradition request if made by New Zealand.