Kim Dong-hwan, 49, detained on charges of killing an airline captain, is escorted to a transport vehicle at Busanjin Police Station in Busan in March to be transferred to prosecutors. [Newsis]
Kim Dong-hwan, 49, detained on charges of killing an airline captain, is escorted to a transport vehicle at Busanjin Police Station in Busan in March to be transferred to prosecutors. [Newsis]

Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Kim Dong-hwan, 49, who is accused of plotting to kill six colleagues at an airline and carrying out one of the murders.

At the closing arguments hearing held Tuesday before the seventh criminal division of Busan District Court (presiding judge Im Ju-hyeok), prosecutors asked the court to impose a life sentence on Kim — who faces charges of murder, attempted murder and preparation for murder — and to order him to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet for 30 years. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Aug. 21.

"The defendant attempted serial killings against multiple victims, making this a grave case of extremely poor criminal character," prosecutors said in explaining their sentencing request. "He is instead shifting blame for his crimes onto the victims and justifying his own actions. The victims and their families are also appealing for him to be permanently removed from society."

Kim is accused of stabbing and killing airline captain A at an apartment in Busanjin-gu, Busan, at around 5:30 a.m. on March 17. According to prosecutors, Kim spent roughly eight months — from August last year through March this year — conducting advance reconnaissance around the residences of six intended victims as he planned the attacks.

In his final statement, Kim continued to threaten the five remaining targets. "The five of you still out there — your futures are already decided," he said. "Before I launched the operation last March, I hired people to handle the job. I started with people already in place who would kill anyone I failed to and clean up afterward."

When the presiding judge pressed him, asking whether he felt any remorse toward the victims, Kim replied, "No. Because they are the perpetrators."


park.jiyeong@heraldcorp.com