A Korean boyfriend, Kim, 32, was arrested on suspicion of murdering a Korean woman, 31, at a hotel in Taiwan.
According to the Free Times and China Times on the 5th, the Southern Kaohsiung District Court accepted the second arrest warrant request from the Kaohsiung District Prosecutor’s Office, which presented new physical evidence, and issued an arrest warrant for Kim around 8 pm the previous day.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutor’s Office requested the competent court to issue an arrest warrant for Kim, attaching additional investigation materials conducted against Kim, who was released on bail the day before, and the autopsy findings of the forensic officer. Accordingly, the court conducted a review of the suitability of arrest for Mr. Kim and permitted the issuance of a warrant.
According to the results of the investigation by the District Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Kim stated in the investigation of the case that he and Lee had been dating for four years and had a good relationship, but there was a minor quarrel over marriage.
However, as local police investigated Lee’s Korean friends, it was found that Lee suffered from frequent violent acts by Kim. Police found that Lee had taken pictures of his nose bruised and his face swollen from the violence and showed them to his friends.
Police are also said to have obtained a statement that Lee heard a violent crash in the hotel room before he died. In addition, the police believe that the shape of the Kaoliangju bottle confiscated at the scene matches the scar on Lee’s left occiput from being hit with a blunt instrument.
Previously, Mr. Lee was found unconscious in a hotel in Kaohsiung around 1:30 pm on the 24th while traveling with Mr. Kim in Taiwan. He was taken to the hospital, but died within 30 minutes.
At the autopsy on the 27th of last month, the forensic examiner mentioned the possibility of murder, saying that Lee’s left occipital wound was not likely to occur from a fall.
The competent court dismissed the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant in consideration of Kim’s status as a foreigner, along with instructions to reinforce the investigation, saying that the scene and evidence of the case had already been preserved.
Taiwanese media reported that Korea’s lower limit for common murder is more than five years in prison, while Taiwan’s is more than 10 years.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.