On trial for the murder of a former airline colleague, Kim Dong-hwan, 49, defended his actions in court, claiming he was fighting against organized crime linked to military academy graduates. During a hearing on July 14 at the Busan District Court, Kim stated, "Since all witness requests have been denied, I will now represent myself," and spoke for about three minutes.
He alleged that individuals from the military academy were involved in criminal activities that excluded those who did not fit their agenda. "I am from the military academy, and I refused to back down against those who sought my destruction, becoming a killer targeting only those from the academy," he claimed.
The court also heard testimony from a fellow airline pilot who had flown with Kim. When asked if he had experienced any disadvantages due to the dominance of military academy graduates within the company, the witness replied, "To my knowledge, there have been none."
Kim requested the court to review the list of individuals under police protection and to reconsider additional witness requests regarding former colleagues. A former intelligence officer in the military, Kim is accused of planning the murder of his colleague due to perceived discrimination and disadvantages he believed he faced as a non-pilot graduate of the military academy.
Investigators have found no evidence of actual discrimination or disadvantages, focusing instead on the possibility that Kim's actions stemmed from delusions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.