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🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Justice Minister Highlights Prosecution's 'Supplementary Investigation' in Director Kim's Death Case

From Hankyoreh · (5m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho emphasized the prosecution's "supplementary investigation" efforts in the case of director Kim Chang-min's alleged assault resulting in death.
  • He acknowledged the seven-month delay in the suspect's arrest after the incident, expressing regret to the bereaved family.
  • The minister highlighted that the prosecution secured crucial evidence, including a recording of the suspect's intent to kill and evidence of conspiracy to destroy evidence, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants.

Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho has underscored the diligent efforts of the prosecution in the case involving the death of director Kim Chang-min, emphasizing that the recent arrests of the perpetrators were the direct result of a 'supplementary investigation.' Speaking via Facebook, Minister Chung acknowledged the seven-month gap between the incident in October last year and the arrests made this week, expressing his sincere apologies to the deceased and his family for the delay.

The prosecution has been making every effort to conduct a supplementary investigation.

— Chung Sung-hoMinister of Justice, emphasizing the prosecution's work on the case.

Minister Chung detailed the prosecution's intensive work since taking over the case in early April. A dedicated team was formed to address the family's appeals regarding the initial investigation's shortcomings and the public's demand for severe punishment. This team focused on a supplementary investigation, which proved crucial. Within this period, the prosecution executed the first search and seizure of the suspect's residence six months after the incident. This operation yielded significant findings, including voice recordings where the suspects expressed intent to kill and evidence suggesting a conspiracy to destroy evidence.

I feel apologetic to the deceased and his family that the arrest was made seven months after the incident.

— Chung Sung-hoExpressing regret over the delay in apprehending the suspects.

Furthermore, the prosecution bolstered the case by obtaining expert medical opinions confirming that the assault was the direct cause of death. They also added charges under the Act on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, citing the brutality of the assault, which occurred in front of the victim's son, who has a developmental disability. These supplementary efforts were instrumental in overcoming the initial rejections of arrest warrants by the court. Minister Chung stressed that the supplementary investigation provided a second chance to uncover the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.

We found voice recordings from the suspect's mobile phone indicating an intent to kill and evidence of conspiracy to destroy evidence.

— Chung Sung-hoDetailing the evidence secured during the supplementary investigation.

'The 'Daehanmaeil' (Hankyoreh) reports that the prosecution's commitment to a thorough supplementary investigation has led to the issuance of arrest warrants for the two individuals accused of assaulting Director Kim Chang-min, resulting in his death. The court, through Judge Oh Deok-sik of the Uijeongbu District Court's Namyangju Branch, approved the arrest warrants. The prosecution's dedicated team, comprising six prosecutors and nine investigators, launched its probe into the case last month, subsequently requesting the warrants. Minister Chung expressed his hope that these arrests will bring some solace to the bereaved family and honor the memory of Director Kim, who passed away leaving behind his child with a developmental disability.

This was made possible by the supplementary investigation, which provided a second chance to delve into the case and approach the truth.

— Chung Sung-hoHighlighting the importance of the supplementary investigation in securing the arrests.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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