[Anchor]
The first trial for Kim So-young, accused of handing out drug-laced hangover remedies that killed two men, opened today (April 9).
Kim maintains she did not intend to kill; the victims' families urged the court to impose the death penalty.
Reporter Yoon Hyung-seop.
[Reporter]
At her initial hearing, Kim So-young denied murder charges in the case in which she is accused of giving drugged drinks to men at a motel, resulting in two deaths.
She acknowledged giving the victims drinks containing drugs but said her intent was only to render them unconscious, not to kill them.
She also said she does not want a jury trial.
Before the hearing, the victims' families urged the court to sentence Kim to death.
Family of the victims of the drug murders: We believe the death penalty must be imposed. We strongly request that the court sentence her to death.
The families argued that Kim's actions were deliberate, carried out according to a detailed plan.
Nam Eon-ho / Families' attorney: Even while the investigation was ongoing, she was reportedly looking for her next targets. She concealed the crime scene, destroyed evidence, and fabricated alibis, demonstrating meticulous planning.
The court said the defendant's intent must be established through circumstantial evidence, ordered Kim to explain in detail how she met the victims, and instructed prosecutors to prove how she developed the intent to kill.
Prosecutors say Kim was arrested and indicted on charges that, between December last year and February this year, she gave drugged drinks to three men in their 20s, killing two and injuring one.
The prosecution has characterized the case as a crime driven by abnormal motives, alleging she exploited and killed men for economic gratification. A psychopathy assessment returned a score of 25 out of 40, which prosecutors cite as indicative of psychopathic traits.
Kim's next court appearance is scheduled for May 7.
This is Yoon Hyung-seop of Yonhap News TV.
[Video reporting: Lee Seung-wook]
[Video editing: Kim Se-na]
#arrest #prosecution #court #police #crime_with_abnormal_motive #aggravated_injury #narcotics #KimSoYoung #motel_drug_murders
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Yoon Hyung-seop (yhs931@yna.co.kr)
