[Anchor]
Jang Yun-gi, the perpetrator of the Gwangju high school girl murder case, has admitted to the charge of murder with the intent to commit a sexual crime in court for the first time. This comes two months after the incident occurred. He acknowledged the charges after viewing enhanced CCTV footage of the crime during the prosecution's investigation, while the bereaved family has repeatedly called for a severe punishment.
Reporter Im Jihyeon reports.
[Reporter]
The second trial for the high school girl murder case was held at the Gwangju District Court.
The core issue of this trial was whether Jang Yun-gi would admit that the crime was committed with the intent to commit sexual assault.
As the trial began, Jang's defense attorney stated that they acknowledge all charges in the indictment filed by the prosecution, which includes rape and murder.
When asked by the court if he agreed with his attorney's statement, Jang replied briefly, "Yes."
This is the first time Jang has admitted to the charges of rape and murder since the crime took place in May.
Previously, Jang had submitted a handwritten statement to the court claiming his innocence while denying that the crime was committed for the purpose of sexual assault, and he had deferred expressing his position on the charges during the first trial held on June 22.
However, during the supplementary investigation, the prosecution enhanced the quality of the dashcam footage from the time of the crime, identifying the moment when Jang, who had left the rear door of his vehicle open, subdued the late Lee Chae-won and attempted to drag her inside.
After the first trial, Jang reviewed this footage with his attorney and subsequently admitted to the motive behind the crime.
During the hearing today (July 13), the prosecution submitted additional evidence, including forensic reports on a damaged life-sized doll and footage from the forensic analysis of Jang's vehicle, which the police had sent late despite the discovery of cable ties.
The bereaved family held a press conference just before the trial to demand a severe sentence.
[Mother of the late Lee Chae-won: Please impose the heaviest punishment the law can give to that devil-like person, which is the death penalty, the maximum sentence allowed by law.]
The family also criticized Jang for showing no genuine remorse, citing the contents of a letter of apology he submitted to the court, in which he wrote that he "harmed the victim without thinking of the consequences, affecting countless people and stealing a piece of their daily lives."
[Kim Mun-seok / Legal representative for the bereaved family: It appears to be a strategic attempt to reduce his sentence by claiming he has 'reflected sincerely,' and we believe he chose that method in a typical, calculated manner.]
The third trial is scheduled for July 27, where witness examinations for the bereaved family and acquaintances of Jang will take place.
Reported by Im Jihyeon | Video by Ju Yong-jin | Video Editing by Park Ji-in | Graphics by Kim Han-gil and Kim Min-young
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