Korea-Japan to Sign Extradition Treaty on 8th

Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 2nd that Korea and Japan are to officially sign an extradition treaty in Seoul on the 8th.

As the Korea-Japan governments aim to bring the extradition treaty into force before the World Cup, which will open in the late-May, Japan’s Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama is to visit and hold the signature ceremony. After signing, both the nations must undergo the ratification process of the Assemblies. Korea is the second nation, with which Japan concluded an extradition treaty, after the U.S. in 1980. Subjects under the treaty are `those who committed crimes that correspond to death penalty, lifetime sentence, or prison terms of a year or longer`, excluding political criminals.

According to Japanese sources, Japanese criminals mainly flee to China, Philippines, and Korea.

ksshim@donga.com