By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A Seoul court ruled that a Korean American murder suspected be extradited to the United States as requested by the country.
The Korean American, identified only as Nam, 31, was caught in 1996 on suspicion of killing the owner of a house he broke into with intent to commit burglary in Pennsylvania State.
After being bailed out, Nam came to Korea in March 1998 and he turned himself in to Korean police, asking to be tried in Korea. But the authorities released him because Korea did not have an extradition treaty with the United States at that time.
Since then he has taught students in English language institutes here. However, an extradition treaty with the United States in 1999 set the ground for the country to hand Nam over.
``Nam, who holds citizenships in two countries is suspected of a serious crime and was indicted in the United States. With all paper evidence and witnesses in the United States, there is no reason to reject the U.S. request for extradition,'' the court said in a ruling.
Nam has claimed the U.S. judiciary may sentence him to death, citing what he called racial discrimination, as the victim was white.