Terra (LUNA) CEO Do Kwon Disputes Meaning of Interpol Red Notice

In an interview with Laura Shin on Tuesday Terra LUNA founder Do Kwon argued that a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.

The founder also contradicted Shin on other points of questioning in a conversation guaranteed to enrage some members of the Terra community. 

Terra LUNA CEO on semantics

Do Kwon has been the subject of an Interpol red notice since Sept, issued at the request of South Korean authorities. It is believed that Kwon is currently in Singapore, with the Terra founder claiming he is making no effort to hide.

Laura Shin, who was interviewing Do Kwon for her podcast, began by asking Kwon why he had “not returned to South Korea” given that South Korean prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant and very much wanted to question him.

Kwon immediately took issue with the phrasing of that question and set about contradicting its premise.

“We have made a request to check on the status of the Red Notice, but as far as I understand it is not an international arrest warrant, and it states so explicitly in its website,” said Do Kwon on the Unchained Podcast.

“Every sovereign nation can interpret a red notice the way it sees fit. A second point of clarification – since the end of last year I haven’t been living in South Korea, so it wouldn’t be accurate to say ‘returning to South Korea.’ The more accurate point would be to say ‘would I travel to South Korea?’”

To that second point the answer is presumably “no” since Kwon has made no effort to travel to South Korea already.

On the second point, Kwon is correct that a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant, but it is a worldwide request that local authorities arrest that individual. The exact wording on the website is as follows:

“A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.”

Kwon’s passport to expire on Wednesday

While a Red Notice has not forced Do Kwon to head to South Korea, the Terra founder’s passport becomes invalid as of Wednesday. That fact may yet force Kwon’s hand. Once Kwon’s passport ceases to be valid, the presumption is that local authorities must deport him.

That said, rarely are matters with Terra (LUNA) ever quite as simple as they first seem.

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