The perpetrator who assaulted and killed the late director Kim Chang-min is facing a strong backlash after issuing a public apology not to the bereaved family but through a YouTube channel. Criticism has also continued toward the channel that turned the incident into content, widening the controversy.
Earlier, on the 9th, a video titled I am the killer of director Kim Chang-min was posted on the YouTube channel "Karacula Detective Agency."
The video that day showed Mr. Lee, the perpetrator in Kim's case, appearing and apologizing to the bereaved family and the deceased. Mr. Lee said I am so sorry but ended the interview shortly after a brief remark of about two minutes, sparking questions about sincerity.
The bigger problem was the subsequent explanation. He claimed that the song he released after the incident was a track he had prepared before the incident and said it expressed a first love story through hip-hop. In particular, regarding his stage name "범인," which evokes a crime, he offered an implausible explanation, saying "I was born in 1994, the year of the dog, and get along well with people born in the year of the tiger, so I got a tiger tattoo," which only fueled public outrage.
What angers the public most is that he appeared first on YouTube rather than to the bereaved family who should have received the apology. Kim's father has strongly opposed it, saying he has never received a direct apology since the incident. Ultimately, this also amounted to a secondary harm to the bereaved family who are suffering pain and sorrow over not only director Kim but the loss.
In the end, the interview carried more weight in excuses and explanations than in apology, drawing sharp criticism. At the same time, the channel that broadcast it as is has also become the focus of criticism. Critics ask whether it was appropriate to put the perpetrator of an incident whose wounds have not yet healed in the forefront of a video and turn it into content with a sensational title.
Some argue that they provided a venue for a public apology, but criticism is stronger that creating a stage to explain oneself in front of the public without direct communication with the victim's side blurred the core issue.
Late director Kim Chang-min was beaten into a brain-dead state by a group including Mr. Lee in October last year while dining with his son with developmental disabilities at a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. He never regained consciousness and, through organ donation, saved four lives before passing away, evoking deep sorrow.
Amid this, although the video claimed to be an apology, critics say it ultimately provided the perpetrator another opportunity to speak and forced the victim's bereaved family to relive their wounds. As responsibility shifted not only to the perpetrator's attitude but also to the platform that consumed it as a broadcast, the controversy does not appear likely to subside easily.
[Photo] 'YouTube' capture
[OSEN]