Prosecution Indicts Two Suspects in 'Kim Changmin Death Case' on Murder Charges While in Custody

Initially Charged With "Inflicting Injury Resulting in Death"
Upgraded to "Murder" Following Prosecution's Supplementary Investigation

The prosecution has brought two suspects in the death of the late director Kim Changmin to trial while they remain in custody.

Yonhap News

The Namyangju Branch Special Investigation Team of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Park Shinyoung of Criminal Division 2) announced on the 21st that it had indicted two men in their 30s, surnamed Lee and Lim, on charges of murder and violation of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act.

The suspects are accused of fatally assaulting Director Kim after an argument over noise at a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province in October last year. They are also charged with emotionally abusing Kim by assaulting him in front of his son, who has developmental disabilities.

Although it was initially reported that there were six people in the perpetrators' group, the police identified only one as a perpetrator. When the prosecution requested a supplementary investigation and returned the case, the police reapplied for arrest warrants for two suspects, adding an accomplice. However, the court rejected the warrant request, stating that there was "no risk of evidence destruction," and the two suspects were transferred to the prosecution without detention.

Subsequently, the prosecution took over the case from the police and formed a special investigation team consisting of three prosecutors and five investigators to reopen the investigation. The team summoned and questioned Kim's son, who was present at the scene, as a witness and obtained arrest warrants from the court.

Initially, the investigation team obtained arrest warrants on the charge of "inflicting injury resulting in death." However, after a supplementary investigation, they determined that the suspects could have foreseen Kim’s death at the time of the assault and thus charged them with murder. The statutory sentence for inflicting injury resulting in death is 3 to 30 years in prison, while murder carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a minimum of 5 years in prison.

According to reports, a recording of a phone call between Lee and Lim, secured by the prosecution immediately after the crime, contained a statement to the effect of "All I could think about was killing the victim."

After being assaulted, Director Kim was taken to the hospital but eventually fell into a brain-dead state. He passed away after saving four lives through organ donation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.