Incheon knife rampage suspect in his 50s taken into custody... "Risk of flight"

Before arrest warrant hearing, suspect says, "I've committed an unforgivable crime"
Victim's family: "We demand fair and severe punishment"

A man in his 50s who injured eight people by wielding a weapon at a commercial complex in Incheon was taken into custody on October 16.

Yonhap News Agency

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Incheon Namdong Police Station detained A, 59, on suspicion of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in a public place. Presiding Judge Park Younggi of the Incheon District Court issued a warrant on the afternoon of October 16 after holding a hearing to review the arrest warrant for A, citing the risk that he might flee.

Before the hearing, A was asked by reporters, "Why did you attack people you didn't know? Do you have anything to say to the victims?" He replied, "I'm sorry. I've committed an unforgivable crime."

A family member of one of the victims, who was waiting outside the court, protested when A got out of a police van and said, "We demand fair and severe punishment from the court." The family member also shouted, "Why did you do that?" when A stepped out of the van.

On the afternoon of October 13, A attacked and injured multiple people at a large commercial complex in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, which houses a large supermarket and a movie theater. At the time of the attack, he was wearing an electronic monitoring device, or ankle monitor, and was under the Ministry of Justice's electronic monitoring program. It was also revealed that shortly before the attack, he had met with an outside expert and then had lunch with a probation officer from the ministry.

Eight people, including a 19-year-old woman who remains unconscious, were classified as injured, while two others were unharmed.

In a police investigation, he reportedly claimed that he had been dissatisfied with a hospital where he had received treatment for a skin condition and had become the subject of a police investigation following a report by the hospital. He said he committed the attack to create a news story and "make his grievance known to society."

A reportedly has 10 prior convictions carrying fines or more severe penalties, including two previous attempted murder convictions.

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