CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SANTA ANA

A former Hyundai executive who fled the country for his native South Korea less than 24 hours after allegedly killing a motorcyclist in a drunk driving accident is to be extradited to Orange County to face manslaughter charges, authorities said.

An arrest warrant was issued in 2007 for Youn Bum Lee, 41, related to the death of motorcyclist Ryan Dallas Cook in a 2005 accident.

Since then, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have been searching for Lee in South Korea in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol and the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Lee will arrive in Orange County late this week to face charges of felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs with injury; and hit-and-run with injury or death, said Susan Kang Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Lee, a former executive at Hyundai, had been drinking with colleagues in Garden Grove in October 2005, according to authorities. He later crashed a dark sport utility vehicle into a concrete barrier on the 55 Freeway, where it was stalled with no lights.

Cook, 23, was riding his motorcycle when he slammed into Lee’s car and was struck by other motorists.

Less than 24 hours later, Lee was on a plane to South Korea, authorities said.

Cook’s parents filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America, alleging that company officials helped Lee leave the country before he could be questioned by police.