'Girlfriend Murder' Kim Rea Claims "Accidental and Diminished Responsibility" in First Trial

'Girlfriend Murder' Kim Rea Claims Insanity Defense in Trial
Defense Attorney: "Kim Was Insane at the Time of the Crime"

Kim Rea (26), who was arrested and prosecuted on charges of murdering his girlfriend with a weapon and seriously injuring her mother after she broke up with him, claimed diminished mental capacity in his first trial.

Mugshot of Kim Rea (26), who has been charged with murdering his girlfriend.
[Photo by Suwon District Prosecutors' Office website]

On the 18th, Yonhap News reported that during the murder and attempted murder trial of Kim Rea at the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 14 (Presiding Judge Ko Kwon-hong), his defense attorney acknowledged the prosecution's charges but argued diminished mental capacity. The attorney stated, "The defendant is deeply remorseful, and the crime was not premeditated. However, the defendant was in a state of diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime." He also added that Kim testified he did not know why he acted as he did during the incident.

Earlier, on March 25th at around 9:35 a.m., Kim wielded a weapon against his girlfriend A (21) and her mother B (46) at his residence in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. A died from the attack, and B sustained serious injuries requiring 10 weeks of medical treatment. Investigations revealed that Kim committed the crime after A tried to break up with him, protesting his history of violent behavior.

Kim showed strong obsession toward A, often saying things like, "If you say you want to break up, I will kill you and then myself." He also exhibited violent tendencies, such as throwing a phone to break it during arguments and punching A's arm, causing bruises. Believing she could not break up with Kim alone, A sought help from her mother B, and both were attacked when they confronted Kim.

In April, the prosecution held a personal information disclosure review committee and decided to publicly release Kim's ▲name ▲age ▲mugshot on their website, considering the severity and brutality of the crime. Kim contested the disclosure decision by filing a cancellation lawsuit and a provisional injunction to suspend enforcement with the court. The injunction was dismissed, and it is reported that Kim later withdrew the main lawsuit.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 25. During this session, witness questioning of B, A's mother, will be conducted for sentencing investigation purposes.