The high-ranking South Korean diplomat accused of indecently assaulting a Kiwi staffer in Wellington is a step closer to facing justice.
Hongkon Kim has been recalled to Seoul with immediate effect from the Philippines and could be extradited to New Zealand.
He's accused of three separate incidents of indecent assault against a male Kiwi staff member committed at the Wellington embassy in 2017 but he'd continued to serve overseas as South Korea's Consul-General to the Philippines.
Newshub Nation previously revealed South Korea had repeatedly blocked a New Zealand Police investigation and resisted attempts to return him to NZ.
That story created an uproar in South Korea, with the allegations becoming a national shame.
"Headlines are calling this a 'national disgrace', if not an international disgrace, and I think it's going to be a headache for President Moon Jae-in, potentially a diplomatic nightmare," Korea-based journalist Raphael Rashid told Newshub Nation last week.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought the matter up on a call last week with South Korea's President and on Monday, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed he will be returned to the country. New Zealand has an extradition treaty with South Korea but it doesn't have one with the Philippines.
