This is a review article based on materials provided by the broadcaster
SBS 'Kkokkomu' covered the "Kim Gil-tae murder case," which shocked Busan, and pointed out institutional flaws.
The 195th episode of "Story of the Day When You Bite Your Tail" (directed by Lee Keun-byeol, Lee Dong-won, Kim Byung-gil, hereafter "Kkokkomu"), which aired on the 2nd, was titled "Kim Gil-tae and the dark king," and actors Shin So-yul, Kim Ki-bang, and Jo Woo-jin participated as listeners to discuss the Kim Gil-tae murder case.
According to ratings research firm Nielsen Korea, that day's Kkokkomu had a 20-49 rating of 1.2%, topping its time slot and ranking first overall among Thursday entertainment, cultural, and drama programs.
The crimes committed by Kim Gil-tae as broadcast that day dated back to 2001. He threatened a woman who was going to dawn prayer with a weapon and dragged her to a rooftop room, where he confined and sexually assaulted her for as long as nine days. In court Kim Gil-tae completely denied the crimes. However, the rooftop room had a layout optimized for confinement, and the victim testified, "I was threatened with a weapon and barely escaped." Ultimately the court sentenced him to eight years in prison.
But that ruling did not stop his reoffending. After serving eight years and being released, within just one year he was again in court as a suspect in the murder of a middle school girl and the sexual assault of a woman in her 20s.
In March 2010 a 13-year-old middle school girl went missing in Sasang District, Busan. After a search her body was found in a nearby water tank. Footprints found at the scene matched Kim Gil-tae's sneakers, and he was already wanted in another sexual assault case. Police eventually put him on a public wanted list.
At the sight of Kim Gil-tae committing crimes near his residence and terrorizing the Busan area, Shin So-yul said, "It's so scary. If it were me, I couldn't go outside the house," and added, "Beyond fear, you start to suspect neighbors and become anxious over small things," conveying her terror.
During the discussion the relationship between Kim Gil-tae and his parents delivered an even greater shock. Kim Gil-tae was abandoned in front of a church as an infant and was adopted and raised by his current adoptive parents. However, from age 17 he went back and forth between juvenile detention centers and prisons, and each time his crimes became known his parents suffered. His mother pleaded, "Turn yourself in, admit your wrongdoing." Shin So-yul expressed sympathy, saying, "It must be devastating for the parents."
In the end, after a full mobilization of detectives and the deployment of 40,000 people, Kim Gil-tae was captured 14 days after the incident occurred. Jo Woo-jin said, "If it were me I think I would cry. I can imagine how many people were sad, in pain, and angry; emotions must have surged," expressing his feelings.
However, during the investigation Kim Gil-tae claimed, "I drank alcohol and don't remember." Police brought in profiler Kwon Il-yong, and although Kim Gil-tae eventually confessed to the crimes, his confession was inconsistent.
Kkokkomu for the first time revealed the details of that confession. He claimed, "I lost consciousness from drinking and when I opened my eyes there was a body," denying murder. Regarding why the body found in the water tank was covered with cement and bricks, he testified, "It was out of pity."
Prosecutors indicted him on charges of rape and murder and sought the death penalty. But Kim Gil-tae appealed, claiming diminished responsibility, saying he suffered from auditory and visual hallucinations and that "the dark king ordered me to do it." Kim Ki-bang reacted in anger, saying, "This is the worst."
The Ministry of Justice's treatment and confinement facility that examined Kim Gil-tae mentioned possible epilepsy and experiences of hallucinations and auditory hallucinations, but Seoul National University Hospital concluded that both epilepsy and delusional disorder were uncertain. It did note, however, that antisocial personality disorder was clear.
The courts were divided in their judgments. The first trial sentenced him to death, but the second trial reduced the sentence, saying the crime was close to accidental and it was difficult to conclude his mental state was completely normal. The Supreme Court confirmed life imprisonment.
MCs Jang Do-yeon, Jang Hyun-sung, and Jang Sung-kyu pointed out flaws in the "diminished responsibility" system and said in unison, "More thought is needed to prevent lies aimed at avoiding punishment after committing unforgivable crimes." Kim Ki-bang noted, "Korea seems lenient on diminished responsibility," and Jo Woo-jin urged improvement, asking, "Can diminished responsibility be a basis for lighter punishment in major crimes against socially vulnerable people? Judgments that turn away from victims must never occur."
[Photo] OSEN DB, SBS
[OSEN]