Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Suspects deny hiring hitman to kill Korean businessman in Philippines
Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Suspects in a 2015 contract killing case in the Philippines have denied charges of hiring a hitman to murder a Korean businessman.
Speaking to a judge Tuesday before the official trial, lawyers for the two suspects, identified only by their surnames Kwon and Kim, said their clients had no motive for killing the victim, surnamed Park, who ran a hotel at Angeles in the northern Philippines.
Park died after a man shot him several times at his office about noon on Sept. 17, 2015. The man escaped in a waiting car.
According to the prosecution, Kwon hired the man by using his local connections after taking money from Kim, a big investor in Park's hotel. Kim allegedly harbored a grudge against Park after Kim did not give him the investment returns he promised.
After years of hard work by Korea Desk officials in the Philippines National Police, Kwon was apprehended on Jan. 23 and extradited to Korea, where he has been indicted with Kim, who was arrested later in Korea, for aiding and abetting a murder.
Investigators are still looking for the killer.
The date of the first hearing is expected to be determined later this month.