[iNews24 reporter Kim Hyo-jin] The Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office has formed a special investigative team to examine the death of filmmaker Kim Chang-min, who died after sustaining serious injuries.
![CCTV footage has emerged showing a group assault on the late director Kim Chang-min, prompting public outrage. [Photo=JTBC broadcast screen capture]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/04/CP-2023-0087/image-e1e0b144-c996-45c1-a7a1-d0c0b428c97d.jpeg)
On April 5, the Namyangju branch said it received the case from the Guri Police Station on April 2 and subsequently organized the specialized investigation team.
The team is led by the head of Criminal Division 2 and comprises three prosecutors and five investigators.
The Namyangju branch said it will apply forensic techniques and actively incorporate the input of prosecutors with medical expertise to conduct swift, rigorous supplementary investigations to ensure the victim is not denied justice.
In the early hours of Oct. 20 last year, Kim visited a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, with his son, who has a developmental disability. A dispute with patrons at another table over noise escalated, and a man struck Kim with a punch, causing him to collapse.
He was taken to a nearby hospital about an hour later but never regained consciousness. On Nov. 7 he was declared brain-dead; his organs were donated, giving new life to four people before his death was confirmed.
Police initially applied for an arrest warrant for a suspect identified as A, who allegedly assaulted Kim, but prosecutors returned the request and asked for additional investigation. After conducting the requested supplementary probes—partly at the family's urging—police reapplied for arrest warrants for two suspects, including A, on charges of causing death by injury.
However, the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court denied the warrants, citing the suspects' stable residences and a low risk of evidence tampering.
Police then forwarded the case to prosecutors without detaining the suspects. The bereaved family expressed outrage, saying the response at every stage—from initial reaction to the handling of suspect accountability—has been inadequate.
Kim's directing credits include Someone's Daughter, which won the director's award at the 2016 Police Human Rights Film Festival, as well as Guui Station Exit 3, Boiler, and Reply.
