South Korea mass stabbing suspect was protecting himself from ‘stalkers’, say police

SEOUL – Choi Won-jong, the suspect behind the deadly knife attack last week in a department store in Bundang, Gyeonggi province, South Korea, went on the stabbing rampage because he believed he was being stalked by a group of people, police investigations revealed on Wednesday.

During Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police’s press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, the police stated they would file for an arrest warrant against Choi on Thursday for murder, attempted murder and preliminary murder.

“Choi appears to have planned the crime in advance, given how he purchased his weapon prior to the incident and from his statements,” said Bundang Police Station chief police officer Mo Sang-myo.

“The suspect believes that there is a group of stalkers who wish to harm him and that the victims of the crime (last) Thursday actually belong to the said group of stalkers. The police have concluded that Choi committed the crime to protect himself.”

In addition to questioning Choi, the police also conducted digital forensic analyses on Choi’s two cellphones and a computer. Most keywords that Choi searched for included “stalking” and “gang”.

Last Thursday, Choi rammed a car into a crowd outside a department store before going into the store and attacking shoppers with a knife. Fourteen people were injured. Among them, one later died and one was still in critical condition as at Wednesday.

The police said the victims did not know Choi personally. He has a history of mental illness, media reports said, quoting the police. He was diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder and was said to have had the disorder from 2015 to 2020.

Prior to the release of the investigation results, it was revealed that Choi had done Internet searches about a stabbing incident on July 21 at Sillim Station in Gwanak district, southern Seoul.

While critics stated that Choi’s crime could have been a copycat crime of the stabbing rampage at Sillim Station, the police have denied the claims, saying that Choi began planning the crime before the Sillim stabbing. His search results before July 21 showed he looked for terms such as “sashimi knife”, “tear gas gun”, “covert stab vests” and “illegal to carry around knives”.

During the investigation, Choi also told the police that he feels regretful of his actions and is willing to submit a written apology.

“Choi said that if he could go back in time before he committed the crime, he wouldn’t do it again. However, because he believes that there are stalkers that wish to harm him amongst the victims, he does not entirely feel sorry towards them,” said Mr Mo.

Choi’s identity was revealed on Monday after the police review committee recognised the “brutality of the crime and the seriousness of the damage”. A suspect’s identity and personal information are very rarely revealed before conviction in South Korea.

“In the future, the police will intensify policing activities to reassure the public and respond swiftly and strictly to all crimes involving weapons, including taking quick measures to respond to stabbing threat messages being posted online,” said Mr Mo. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK