Park Young-jun denies intent to kill in Tokyo court

At his first hearing at the Tokyo District Court, Park Young-jun, a 31-year-old South Korean national, denied intent to kill regarding the death of his former partner, Bang Ji-won.

Park is charged with murder and violating the Stalker Control Act. The incident occurred last September at a photography studio in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, where Bang, then 40, was fatally stabbed in the neck with a knife.

During the proceedings, Park admitted to stalking behaviors but maintained that he did not intend to kill. His defense argued that while he had brought a knife with the intention of taking his own life, the stabbing occurred during a physical struggle. Prosecutors, however, contended that the killing was the culmination of stalking, noting that Park had ambushed the victim at her workplace after repeatedly appearing at her apartment on 13 separate occasions.