Reiwa 6 (Wa) No. 37 - Murder, Negligent Driving Causing Injury, and Road Traffic Law Violations

In early 2025, in Osaka, Japan, Kim Yong-su, a Korean national, drove under the influence of alcohol and ran a red light, striking pedestrians on a crosswalk. The crash killed 32-year-old Keiko Yamamoto and injured two others. Kim fled the scene but was arrested hours later. Prosecutors indicted him on charges of murder, negligent driving causing injury, and violating the Road Traffic Act, arguing he acted with willful disregard for life. The Osaka District Court heard the case under the docket Reiwa 6 (Wa) No. 37. The trial focused on whether Kim's extreme recklessness amounted to criminal intent, drawing intense public and media scrutiny both in Japan and South Korea.

The Osaka District Court convicted Kim Yong-su of murder, along with negligent driving causing injury and traffic law violations. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, reflecting the court's finding of criminal intent equivalent to murder due to extreme recklessness.

The central legal dispute was whether the defendant's actions constituted murder with "dolus eventualis" (conditional intent) or merely the lesser charge of dangerous driving causing death. The defense argued there was no intent to kill, while the prosecution contended that driving intoxicated at high speed through a red light demonstrated an acceptance of the lethal outcome.

The verdict reinforced a judicial trend in Japan toward treating egregious reckless driving as murder. It also intensified public discourse on road safety, drunk driving penalties, and the integration challenges facing Zainichi Korean communities. Media in both Japan and South Korea extensively covered the ruling, which prompted renewed calls for stricter traffic law enforcement.