Korean Captain Murder: Pilot’s Failed Medical & Resignation Revealed

The man in his 50s who murdered the captain continues to express dissatisfaction with the evaluation.
I suddenly took sick leave and returned from work, but
Failed medical test to maintain pilot qualification
‘Accumulated dissatisfaction’ revealed as the reason for leaving the company in 2024

It was confirmed that Mr. Kim, a former co-pilot in his 50s who killed his fellow airline captain, lost his flight qualifications after failing a medical test and eventually resigned from the company. The Busan Police Agency is confirming whether the suspect’s claim of mental illness is true.

According to the aviation industry on the 19th, Mr. Kim joined a local airline as an experienced employee in 2018. Afterwards, during a regular evaluation of his flight ability, he was judged to have failed once. Afterwards, he took sick leave and went on leave, and upon his return, he failed to pass the medical test required to maintain pilot qualifications, so it was reported that his flying qualifications were eventually suspended. The industry believes that Mr. Kim failed the medical test because his mental problems were not resolved.

A police official said, “We are checking whether Mr. Kim is mentally ill.” Mr. Kim is also making statements to the effect that he suffered from mental illness. Mr. Kim is said to have stated that the reason for his resignation in April 2024 was that he was resigning due to accumulated dissatisfaction. The police also conducted a psychopathy diagnostic test on Mr. Kim.

According to the police investigation, Mr. Kim continued to commit crimes by moving to Goyang, Busan, and Changwon. It is known that Mr. Kim disguised himself as an employee of a delivery company for six months before committing the crime and followed the four captains to determine their home location. It is said that the actual residence status was confirmed by ringing the doorbell of each household. Based on this, the police believe that Mr. Kim planned the crime for a long time.

It was investigated that Mr. Kim attempted to commit additional crimes, including killing an airline colleague in Busan on the 17th, then running away and moving to Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do to visit another captain. Previously, on the 16th, an attempt was made to kill another captain in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, by strangulation, but the attempt ended in failure. A police official said, “We are investigating the specific reason why Mr. Kim committed the crime against them.”

The fellow pilots targeted by Mr. Kim are presumed to be people who may have been involved in Mr. Kim’s regular flight evaluation and eligibility for deduction benefits. Commercial airline pilots undergo flight evaluations three times a year. One is a flight evaluation while operating an actual aircraft, and the other two are simulator evaluations. The evaluation is hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but since it is difficult to evaluate all pilots directly, an airline instructor-level captain is designated as an “appointed examiner.” An aviation industry official said, “It is highly likely that Mr. Kim was dissatisfied with the instructor-level captain who gave him a low score.”

The interrogation of the suspect before Mr. Kim’s arrest will be held at the Busan District Court on the 20th.