▲ Choi, a man in his 50s accused of injuring eight people with a weapon at a large commercial facility in Incheon, attends a substantive warrant hearing at the Incheon District Court in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on October 16.
It has been confirmed through SBS reporting that the Ministry of Justice has classified and managed Choi, the suspect in the Incheon knife rampage, as a "low-risk management group."
Choi, who faces charges of attempting to murder 10 visitors with a weapon at a complex facility in Namdong-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of October 13, has a criminal record of over 10 previous convictions.
In September 2004, he was punished for wielding a weapon against a real estate agent out of dissatisfaction at an office in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. In 2007, he reportedly swung a weapon and injured his ex-common-law wife following an argument after their divorce.
Notably, in 2015, he was sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder after stabbing his ex-wife multiple times when she refused to reconcile. Deemed to have a high risk of reoffending, he was placed under electronic anklet surveillance until February 2029.
On September 9, police received a report that he was staging a protest with a weapon in front of a hospital in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, leading to him being booked for carrying a weapon in a public place.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Representative Kim Dong-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Choi remained in the "intensive" management tier, which is on the lower end of the four-tiered management system (1-on-1, high-risk, intensive, general) for electronic monitoring subjects.
Police notified the Ministry of Justice of Choi's additional booking on October 6, 27 days after the incident occurred. However, it was revealed that the Ministry did not upgrade Choi's management tier even after receiving the notice of the additional booking.
The Ministry of Justice explained that it determines a subject's management tier based on a recidivism risk assessment tool, taking into account criminal records, compliance with guidance and supervision, and whether they are receiving treatment.
An official from the Ministry of Justice explained the reason for not raising the management tier, stating, "Choi's recent case of being booked for carrying a weapon in a public place did not involve brandishing the weapon at a person," adding, "He does not fall under the high-risk tier among electronic monitoring subjects."
Representative Kim pointed out, "The electronic monitoring system must be completely overhauled," and urged, "We need to increase the insufficient electronic monitoring personnel and specially manage subjects with a high risk of reoffending."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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