South Korean prosecution on Tuesday requested again for an autopsy of a farmer who had died after a police water cannon knocked him unconscious and presumably caused brain injury.

Baek Nam-gi passed away Sunday after being hospitalized for 10 months, from what local doctors have assessed was an injury caused by a direct hit by the water cannon.

But police and the prosecutors have denied that being struck by the water cannon caused the elderly farmer’s death. Former police Chief Kang Sin-myeong has denied calls by the opposition and civic groups to apologize for Baek’s death, saying he should do so only after legal responsibility for the incident has been made clear.

The Seoul Central District Court turned down the prosecution’s first request Sunday for Baek’s autopsy.

The court has demanded the prosecution to state reasons for the autopsy, specifically to clarify if it seeks to find an alternate cause behind Baek’s death.

The court was expected to reach a decision on the prosecution’s second request by late Tuesday.

National Police Agency chief Lee Cheol-seong said that as Baek’s immediate cause of death was heart failure, an autopsy is needed to find out exactly what caused the farmer’s death.

Investigators have said it is possible to conduct the autopsy at Seoul National University Hospital, where Baek’s body is being kept, instead of moving the deceased to the National Forensic Service.

The Association for Physicians for Humanism has attributed Baek’s death to a brain hemorrhage and skull fracture from being hit by the water cannon.

The bereaved family of Baek and civic groups have opposed the autopsy, saying it is clear that his death was caused by the water cannon.

“Inspection by the NFS officials and 10 months of medical records should suffice in determining the cause of death,” said Baek’s daughter at a press conference Tuesday.

Woo Seok-gyun of the APH said that acute renal failure, Baek’s immediate cause of death, can be found in patients who have been hospitalized for an extended period of time for traumatic brain hemorrhage.

He said an autopsy is unnecessary, as it is clear that the water cannon led to Baek’s death.

The opposition parties held a joint press conference Tuesday to oppose the autopsy, saying they may call for special prosecution to investigate the case and find out who should be held accountable for the farmer’s death.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)