A former airline first officer accused of planning and carrying out the killing of a fellow airline captain has been sent to trial.
The Criminal Division 3 of the Busan District Prosecutors Office said on the 14th that it indicted Kim Dong-hwan under detention on charges including housebreaking and murder, attempted murder, and preparation for murder.
Kim is accused of disguising as a delivery worker and killing victim A with a weapon at an apartment in Busan on the 17th of last month. The day before the incident, he also allegedly tried to kill a captain from another airline at an apartment in Goyang, Gyeonggi, but failed. He was then additionally charged with preparation for murder after drawing up further plans to kill four airline officials.
According to prosecutors, Kim is a former information officer from the Air Force Academy and prepared the crime believing that pilot colleagues had systematically slandered him. Kim thought that because of them he suffered disadvantages or was subjected to insulting words and actions that harmed his health and led to his resignation.
It was found that as Kim was leaving the company, he applied to the pilots association mutual aid society for a condolence payment due to loss of his pilot license, but after receiving less than he expected, he drew up a full-fledged murder plan.
Kim had been preparing for the crime since August last year. Over about seven months, he bought tools, attached a GPS tracker to the victim's vehicle to identify the residence, and conducted reconnaissance. In the process, he also showed meticulousness by using cash and prepaid transit cards to avoid tracking.
Through a supplemental investigation of Kim after he was referred, prosecutors are said to have secured evidence to prove circumstances such as his scouting of planned crime scenes to prepare a serial killing plan and his motive.
A prosecution official said, "We will continue to provide support so that a sentence commensurate with the culpability is handed down in the upcoming trial and restitution for the victim can be achieved."