Prosecutors seek 20 and 15 years for men charged with murdering director Kim Chang-min

Prosecutors on October 8 asked the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court to sentence two 32-year-old men, surnamed Lee and Lim, to 20 and 15 years in prison for the killing of film director Kim Chang-min (김창민). At the closing hearing before Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Kim Guk-sik (김국식), the prosecution said the two had killed Kim and had abused his son, who has a developmental disability, by assaulting Kim in front of him. Newsis reported that prosecutors also sought a 10-year ban on employment at related institutions for each man. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

According to the reports, the men got into an argument over noise with Kim at a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, at around 1 a.m. on October 20 last year, then took him to a nearby alley and beat him with fists and feet. Newsis reported that Lim put Kim in a rear chokehold after Kim approached their group holding a tonkatsu knife, and that he kept watch while Lee beat Kim in the alley. Kim lost consciousness, was declared brain dead and donated organs to four people before he died. Yonhap, Chosun Ilbo and CBS NoCut News put the time to brain death at 17 days; Newsis gives 18 days. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

The prosecution told the court that the defendants became enraged when Kim picked up the knife and shared out the assault inside and outside the restaurant and in the alley. It said they were clearly joint principals in a murder and that every member of the Prosecution Citizens' Committee had agreed. It said Lee revealed his intent in a phone call right after the attack, saying he had thought only of killing Kim, and that Lim weakened Kim by choking him and did not stop the beating that followed. Prosecutors also said the defendants made false statements, criticised the victim on YouTube, and mocked investigators and the court after an arrest warrant was rejected. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]

Lee's side admitted punching Kim but denied kicking or stamping on him and denied any intent to kill or foresight of death. Lim's side said the chokehold was a legitimate restraint to prevent further harm after Kim picked up a knife, denied conspiring with Lee and argued there was no causal link to the death. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

A forensic medicine professor testified that Lee's repeated blows caused traumatic subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhages that killed Kim, and that the chokehold contributed by leaving Kim defenceless, Yonhap reported. A shop owner testified to seeing Lee hit Kim's face seven or eight times in the alley. Prosecutors also asked about disciplinary punishments the men received at Uijeongbu prison, 30 days of confinement for Lee and 25 days for Lim. Police had first referred the case as injury resulting in death. The verdict is due on November 12. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]