Changwon court orders retrial for Uzbek man in 2009 taxi-driver killing

Changwon District Court ordered a retrial on October 15 for an Uzbek national serving a life sentence over the 2009 killing and robbery of a taxi driver. The court also suspended the sentence. Korea Economic Daily reported that the man, referred to in the reports as Akeumal (아크말), left Changwon Prison at about 18:35 and embraced his father outside. [ 2 , 5 , 9 ]

The court found that police had deceived him to obtain a confession and violated his right to interpretation. Newsis and Chosun Ilbo reported that investigators falsely told him his DNA had been found at the scene and that the dead victim was still alive. The court said these actions could psychologically undermine the defendant, who was 19 at the time, and interfere with his ability to deny the allegations. It also found that questioning without an interpreter infringed his rights. [ 4 , 5 ]

He was arrested in July 2009 over a separate taxi robbery before being identified as a suspect in the March killing in Changwon. His life sentence became final when the Supreme Court rejected his appeal in April 2010. An earlier retrial request was rejected, and he applied again in January 2025. His defence argued that the confession was false and cited forensic opinions, taxi movement records, communications data and testimony about the alleged weapon. [ 2 , 5 ]

Prosecutors disputed the claims of police violence and argued that the new material raised doubts without establishing grounds to overturn the original judgment, according to Yonhap. The court left assessment of whether additional evidence clearly established innocence to the retrial. Seoul Economic Daily reported that prosecutors could appeal the reopening decision within seven days and that it was not yet final. [ 2 , 3 ]