"I've Never Seen So Few Customers"... Wave of "Donjjul" Support for Restaurant District That Stood Up to Knife-Wielding Suspect

Shop Owners Blocked the Knife-Wielding Attacker with Trays and Chairs
Only Half of the Shops Open... Some Owners Report Insomnia
Shop Addresses Shared on Social Media as People Encourage Visits

A movement is gaining momentum to support the shop owners who stood up to the suspect during the knife attack in Incheon by visiting their businesses and boosting their sales.

A post supporting the ssambap restaurant owner, who is said to have subdued the knife-wielding attacker in Incheon, spread on Instagram.

Shop Owners Fought Back With Trays and Chairs... Citizens Also Joined In

On October 15, posts recommending visits to the restaurant, along with its address and photos of its food, appeared one after another on online forums and social media. One user shared a photo of ssambap, saying the restaurant was a longtime favorite, while another left a message saying they wanted to support the shop owners by placing a delivery order. Others encouraged people to "donjjul" the businesses—in other words, to reward them with money for doing a good deed.

Support also translated into in-person visits. According to JTBC, people began visiting the restaurant district, where customer numbers had fallen since the incident, to show their support for the shop owners. According to Ilyo Shinmun, at lunchtime on October 15, five men in their 20s visited the ssambap restaurant and spoke with its owner, who had joined the effort to subdue the suspect.

The incident occurred at around 1:50 p.m. on October 13 at a shopping complex in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon. A 59-year-old man wielded a weapon inside the building, injuring eight people. Shop owners working in the second-floor restaurant area stood in the suspect's way, holding trays and chairs. Lee Hyunmin, a man in his 30s who runs a udon restaurant, threw a tray first and then chased the suspect, while Shin Insu, a man in his 60s who owns the ssambap restaurant, threw a chair to block his path.

Other citizens also helped subdue him. Shin Junghyun, 23, an office worker on his way to a movie theater on the fourth floor, threw a chair at the suspect as he came up the escalator. Citizens on the floor below then held the fallen suspect down with chairs. Police arrested the suspect at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. In a phone interview with Yonhap News, Shin said, "I'm relieved we were able to prevent more serious harm."

Shock Lingers in Empty Restaurant District... Suspect's Warrant Hearing Set for October 16

CCTV footage released by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on the 14th shows citizens subduing a knife-wielding assailant inside a large commercial building in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, the previous day (the 13th). Yonhap News Agency

The shop owners have reopened their businesses, but customer numbers have fallen sharply. According to Yonhap News, only about half of the roughly 20 businesses in the second-floor restaurant area were open on October 14, the day after the incident. Ahead of lunchtime on October 15, most seats in the restaurant district were empty, and many restaurants had no customers at all. One shop owner told Ilyo Shinmun, "Since businesses in the shopping complex closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've never seen so few customers." Some shop owners reportedly have been unable to sleep because the scene keeps coming back to them, while others have sought treatment from mental health professionals.

Police are considering giving awards to the citizens who helped subdue the suspect, while Incheon City is reviewing plans to provide victims with financial support for medical treatment, living expenses, and psychological care. Incheon City and Namdong-gu have set up on-site psychological support booths and begun offering counseling as of October 15. Counseling is available not only to witnesses and shop owners but also to residents experiencing anxiety or sleep disorders after hearing about the incident.

Police have sought an arrest warrant for Mr. Choi, 59, on suspicion of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in a public place. Choi previously served four years in prison for attempted murder and committed the latest crime while wearing an electronic ankle monitor. According to court rulings reviewed by Yonhap News, he had also previously received suspended sentences twice in connection with attempted murder and an assault with a weapon. Choi's pre-arrest questioning, also known as a warrant hearing, is scheduled for around 2 p.m. on October 16.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.