Two suspects in the death of director Kim Chang-min have been charged with murder while in custody.
According to Yonhap News, the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office announced on May 21 that Lee (32) and Lim (32) have been indicted on charges of murder and violating the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act. The prosecution determined that the severity of the crime warranted murder charges, rather than the initial charge of manslaughter applied by the police.
The suspects are accused of dragging director Kim into an alley and brutally assaulting him over a noise dispute outside a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, on October 20 of last year, leading to his death.
The prosecution has also charged them with emotional abuse for assaulting Kim in front of his son, who has a developmental disability.
Kim lost consciousness shortly after the assault and was transported to a hospital, where he ultimately did not recover. Seventeen days after the incident, he was declared brain dead and later donated his organs to four recipients before passing away.
Initially, police applied for arrest warrants for the suspects multiple times, but the courts denied them, citing a lack of flight risk. However, public outrage grew after the incident became known and CCTV footage of the assault was released, leading to criticism of the police's inadequate investigation.
According to Yonhap News, the prosecution formed a dedicated investigation team to conduct a supplementary investigation, interviewing Kim's son and searching the suspects' residences and mobile phones. They analyzed approximately 3,000 phone recordings, which included statements such as, "I thought I had to kill him" and "I had no thoughts other than to kill him," leading to the conclusion of intent to commit murder.
Additionally, the prosecution consulted five medical experts regarding brain CT scans and obtained opinions indicating that Kim died from brain injuries caused by repeated and severe external forces to the head and face. Forensic analysis also suggested that Lim choked the victim, impairing his ability to defend himself.
On May 11, the prosecution's citizen committee unanimously agreed that the suspects exhibited intent to kill and acted as accomplices, prompting the prosecution to proceed with murder charges.
However, Lee has admitted to only striking Kim three to four times with his fists, denying some of the charges, while Lim claims he only tried to separate Lee and Kim.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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