The Tokyo High Court approved the extradition of a murder suspect to South Korea on Thursday, the first such handover under the Japanese-South Korean extradition treaty, Japanese officials said.

South Korea sought the extradition of Cui Xuezhe, 27, a Chinese national currently being detained in Japan, on suspicion of fatally stabbing a man in Seoul in 2002.

In December, Justice Minister Chieko Noono told the Tokyo High Public Prosecutor's Office to ask the high court whether it is legal to hand Cui over to South Korean authorities.

There were expectations the high court would study whether the allegations against Cui meet the conditions stipulated in the treaty by consulting the parties involved, including Cui's lawyers and prosecutors. But the court failed to hold a hearing with the parties before approving the extradition.

It is the first request made by Seoul under the bilateral treaty on the transfer of criminal suspects that the two countries signed in April 2002.

The treaty requires that suspects involved in crimes punishable by a minimum of one year's imprisonment under the laws of both countries be handed over if a request is filed by either country.

South Korea alleges Cui fatally stabbed a man in Seoul on Feb. 3, 2002. Cui later fled South Korea and secretly entered Japan, the officials said.