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Police release identity of man alleged to have killed commercial airline pilot

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 18:10

The identity of the suspect of the murder of a pilot in Busan was revealed on March 24. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

The identity of 49-year-old Kim Dong-hwan, a former airline first officer arrested for allegedly killing a commercial airline captain in Busan, has been disclosed.

The suspect’s personal information, including his name, face and age, was released following a review by a disclosure committee, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced Tuesday. The information will be made public from Tuesday to April 23.

Under the current law on disclosing identities of suspects in serious crimes, police and prosecutors can release such information if conditions are met, including the brutality of the crime, the severity of damage, the existence of sufficient evidence and the public’s right to know.

The suspect is accused of fatally stabbing a commercial airline captain, his former co-worker, at an apartment in Busanjin District, Busan, at around 5:20 a.m. last Tuesday.

He is also suspected of attempting to kill another airline captain at around 4:40 a.m. last Monday by trying to strangle him with a rope, but the attempt failed due to the victim’s resistance.

After the killing, the suspect traveled to Changwon, South Gyeongsang, where another intended target was staying, but was unable to approach the individual as the person was under police protection. He then moved to Ulsan, where he was arrested.

His motive has not yet been clearly identified. A psychopathy test was conducted on the suspect, but he did not meet the criteria for psychopathy.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]