Two suspects in the "Director Kim Chang-min death case" were indicted and detained on murder charges. Police initially referred the case on charges of injury resulting in death, but prosecutors, after a supplemental investigation, changed the charge to murder, saying they found intent to kill.
The Criminal Division 2 of the Namyangju District Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Park Shin-young) said on the 21st that it indicted and detained a person surnamed Lee (32) and a person surnamed Lim (32) on charges of murder and violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities.
They are accused of dragging Director Kim Chang-min into an alley and carrying out a group assault after arguing over noise in front of a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi, on the morning of Oct. 20 last year, causing his death. They are also suspected of emotionally abusing him by carrying out the assault in front of Kim's son with a developmental disability.
Prosecutors applied murder instead of the initially applied charge of injury resulting in death, judging that the suspects continued the crime despite being fully able to foresee the possibility of Kim's death during the assault.
Prosecutors said that during the supplemental investigation they analyzed about 3,000 recorded phone call files of the suspects and found circumstances supporting an intent to kill at the time of the crime.
They also commissioned five medical experts to review a brain CT and obtained an opinion that "repetitive and strong external force to the head and face caused brain injury that led to death."
A forensic review also concluded that, as Lim choked the neck from behind, Kim's consciousness diminished, likely making it difficult to defend against Lee's blows.
Prosecutors said that five companions at the scene were seen trying to stop the assault, and no circumstances suggesting they egged on or took part in the crime were found.
Kim was taken to a hospital immediately after the assault but did not regain consciousness and was declared brain-dead after 17 days, then died after donating his organs.
Earlier, police applied several times for arrest warrants for the suspects, but the court rejected them, citing reasons such as "no risk of flight," and the case was referred without detention on charges of injury resulting in death.
Afterward, prosecutors formed a dedicated investigation team and, after conducting supplemental investigation including witness interviews, searches and seizures, and cell phone analysis, sought arrest warrants again on the 28th of last month, and the court issued them on the 4th.
The suspects currently deny part of the charges. Lee admits only to punching 3–4 times and denies the rest, while Lim claims only to have tried to separate Kim and Lee.