Prosecutors said Tuesday they have requested forensic experts to evaluate whether the man who attacked the U.S. ambassador to South Korea early this month had the intention to kill him.
The 55-year-old suspect, Kim Ki-jong, was apprehended on March 5 after he assaulted Mark Lippert with a kitchen knife at a breakfast meeting in Seoul. The incident left the envoy with deep gashes on his face and wrist that required more than 80 stitches.
Police have asked prosecutors to charge Kim with attempted murder, violence against a foreign envoy and business obstruction.
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| Kim Ki-jong assaulted U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert with a kitchen knife on March 5 at a breakfast meeting in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
Prosecutors said the evaluation is designed to prove the charge of attempted murder against Kim, who is now held in pre-trial detention.
Prosecutors are analyzing Kim’s email, phone and bank transaction records to see if anyone else was involved. Kim has told prosecutors he acted alone, they said.
Prosecutors have finished interrogating the two doctors who performed surgery on Lippert to collect evidence for the attempted murder charge.
“We will investigate to see if we can charge Kim with attempted murder, how he came to attack the ambassador and whether anyone else has been involved,” a prosecution official said.
Prosecutors said they are considering extending Kim’s detention period, which expires Monday, for 10 more days. (Yonhap)
