China approves extradition of cult leader to S. Korea on rape charges
China 's top court has approved the extradition to South Korea of a cult leader who is accused of raping his female followers, a South Korean envoy in Beijing said Wednesday.
Jeong Myeong-seok, 62, who has set up a personality cult named JMS, will be forced to return home eight years after he fled South Korea after allegations that he committed rape were aired in the media.
The extradition could take several months, as the court ruling needs to be signed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the top administrative authority in Beijing, the South Korean envoy said.
The self-proclaimed messiah was formally charged with rape at home in 2001 and arrested in Hong Kong in 2003 on visa violations. Jeong fled an extradition hearing before being arrested by Chinese authorities in May last year.
