By Kim Rahn
A French court has ordered the extradition of Yoo Seom-na, the daughter of Yoo Byeung-eun the de facto owner of the operator of the ferry Sewol that sank and killed over 300 people, to Korea to face embezzlement charges. The ruling follows a request from the Korean government.
Yoo Seom-na plans to appeal so it may take some time to actually bring her to Korea.
An appeals court in Paris ruled in favor of the extradition Wednesday, saying that based on documents from the Korean government and the trials of Yoo’s family members in Korean courts, it concluded that she would receive a fair trial.
She was arrested near her apartment in Paris on May 27, about 40 days after the ferry disaster, after Korean prosecutors filed an Interpol red notice against her.
While running a design firm, Moreal Design, one of the companies owned by the Yoo family, she allegedly embezzled 49 billion won in corporate funds. She is also suspected of having received 4.8 billion won from another affiliate under the name of “advisory fees.”
rahnita@ktimes.co.kr
Yoo Seom-na was also allegedly involved in operating Chonghaejin Marine, the operator of the Sewol.
Prosecutors believe that the embezzlement by her and other family members at a dozen affiliates contributed to insufficient spending on safety for the ferry, resulting in the deaths, most of them high school students.
Herve Temime, her lawyer, said she would appeal, saying a fair trial is unlikely in Korea where people are looking for a scapegoat for the disaster. The French top court will then review the extradition request.
He said if the top court also rules for extradition, Yoo may seek an appeal with the European Union Court of Justice. So the extradition may take years.