A court convened Wednesday the first hearing in the trial of a radical activist charged with the attempted murder of U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert.

Kim Ki-jong, the founder of pro-unification group Woori Madang, was tried in Seoul Central District Court on charges of attempted murder, obstructing business operations and assaulting a foreign envoy.

The trial came after the 55-year-old man slashed Lippert in the face with a 24-centimeter knife at a forum discussing Korean unification in central Seoul on March 5.

Kim had said that he attacked the American envoy to protest against the joint military drills between Washington and Seoul.

Lippert sustained injuries to his cheek and arm, requiring him to undergo two surgeries and 80 stitches to his face.

The attempted murder charge does not stipulate a specific jail term, but it is expected that Kim could face a life sentence given the gravity of the crime, according to legal sources.

In the preliminary hearings, the prosecution said that Kim’s attack could have killed the American envoy, considering the location of the envoy’s injuries and the knife used.

But Kim’s lawyer maintained that he did not mean to kill, citing Kim’s crippled hands. Kim’s lawyer had asked the court to review the CCTV footage that filmed the scene to prove that Kim was not able to freely move his right hand.

By Ock Hyun-ju ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com