New Zealand police has decided not to seek extradition of Hongkon Kim, a South Korean diplomat accused of indecent assault in Wellington.
In a statement this morning, Detective Inspector John Van Den Heuvel said the complainant - reported as a male staffer at the South Korean embassy - had been advised of the decision.
"We acknowledge the complainant was disappointed with this outcome," Van Den Heuvel said.
In July last year, police received a complaint regarding indecent assault.
Van Den Heuvel said police underwent a thorough investigation and an arrest warrant was issued for the alleged offender in February 2020 on three charges of indecent assault.
"As the alleged offender had left New Zealand prior to the complaint being made to police, consideration had to be given to requesting the extradition of the alleged offender from his home country," he said.
"After carefully considering the evidence and legal advice NZ Police has concluded that, while the standard of proof to prosecute the alleged offender and to seek a warrant of arrest had been met, the higher threshold required to initiate extradition proceedings has not been met."
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