Perpetrator in Director Kim's Death Case Apologizes, Claims Unfair Treatment

Regarding the case where Director Kim Chang-min died from a group assault in front of his son with developmental disabilities, Lee, identified as a perpetrator, has revealed his stance of feeling wronged for the first time while conveying his intent to apologize. The incident occurred in the early morning of October 20 last year at a restaurant in Guri City, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in Director Kim's death after he was subjected to group assault in front of his son who has developmental disabilities. Lee, while apologizing to Director Kim and his bereaved family, claimed that the facts of the case are being distorted. He explained the situation at the time, stating he apologized because the director first used profanity, but he himself got involved in the assault while trying to break it up and hit the director three times.

On the other hand, one member of the perpetrator's group stated during a prosecutor's investigation as a witness that CCTV footage captured Lee and Im repeatedly assaulting (Director Kim) in turns. One of the group members also choked Director Kim, and a scuffle ensued again after Director Kim came outside the restaurant. One person punched Director Kim in the face, while another dragged the fallen Director Kim into an alley for further assault. A restaurant employee stated during a police investigation that Director Kim had charged at them holding a knife used for cutting pork cutlets. It appears Director Kim was initially investigated for special intimidation charges.

The victim's family pointed out that the initial investigation was inadequate, with reports emphasizing only circumstances favorable to the perpetrators, such as Director Kim charging with a pork cutlet knife. The family highlighted the inadequacy of the initial investigation, stating that the perpetrators were released based on the employee's testimony. The family emphasized, "In a situation surrounded by multiple people, the victim was subdued in a state of helplessness and subjected to continuous beatings, leading to his death. This is the essence of the case." They added that it was perplexing how only circumstances favorable to the multiple perpetrators were highlighted, seemingly to alleviate their guilt. The CCTV footage during the assault showed at least six people from the perpetrator's group. However, only one person was identified as a suspect, and the family claims that numerous circumstances favorable to the suspect were accepted as evidence, influencing the rejection of the arrest warrant.

Lee denied reports that he made the statement "My fists are not rusty," and explained that his music release and stage name 'Bomin' (meaning 'criminal' or 'suspect') after the incident were not directly related to the case. In a media interview on the 8th, Lee conveyed his apologies to the deceased Director Kim and his bereaved family, but stated he could not get a response when attempting to convey his intention to settle through investigative agencies as he did not know the family's contact information. He later appeared on the YouTube channel 'Caracula Detective Agency' to express his apologies once more. Regarding the music release, which he had prepared before the incident, Lee explained, "It was something I had prepared before the incident," and "It's about a first love I had for a long time, expressed in a hip-hop style." Concerning the stage name 'Bomin,' he explained, "I was born in the Year of the Dog (94-liner), and they say it pairs well with the Year of the Tiger, so I got a tiger tattoo on my back."