Director Kim Chang-min's Assault Death: War of Words Over Truth

The claims of the bereaved family and the suspect's side have diverged regarding the case of Director Kim Chang-min, who died after a group assault in front of his son with a developmental disability. The family stated that there was no attempt at apology or remorse from the perpetrators after the incident, while the suspect's side insisted that the truth would be clearly revealed through the media and YouTube.

Director Kim's father, Kim Sang-chul, appeared on a radio broadcast and dismissed the perpetrators' claim of attempting an apology as "absurd." Kim pointed out the illogical nature of the perpetrator's argument that they couldn't apologize because the police did not provide contact information, even though they could have obtained it through a lawyer. He expressed hope that the truth of the case would be clarified, given that the prosecution has formed a special investigation team.

Suspect Lee (30s) expressed his apologies to the deceased and the bereaved family in a media interview. He claimed that he had conveyed his desire for an apology and settlement multiple times to the investigative authorities but received no response, as he did not know the family's contact information. Lee mentioned that this content was recorded in the police statement. He later appeared on a YouTube channel to offer his apologies again to the deceased and the bereaved family. Regarding the release of music after the incident, he clarified that it was a personal song he had been preparing before the incident.

In the early stages of the investigation, police focused on the statement from a restaurant employee, noting that Director Kim had charged at the group wielding a 'pork cutlet knife,' and included him as a suspect for aggravated threat. CCTV footage shows Director Kim, who was smoking outside the restaurant with Mr. A's group, entering the restaurant, grabbing something, and then charging at the group before being restrained. Subsequently, Mr. B, one of the group members, choked Director Kim, and Mr. A punched Director Kim in the face. Director Kim, who had fallen, was dragged into an alley by Mr. B, where Mr. A continued to assault him.

The bereaved family criticized the initial investigation for its inadequacy, pointing out that the perpetrators were released based solely on the employee's statement. They expressed bewilderment that only circumstances favorable to the perpetrators were emphasized, despite the core of the incident being death resulting from continuous assault after being subdued by multiple individuals. The family claims that despite at least six individuals from the perpetrator's group appearing during the assault, only one was identified as a suspect, and circumstances favorable to the suspect influenced the rejection of the arrest warrant. The suspect's side is reportedly stating that Director Kim also bears responsibility for the incident.