Incheon Knife-Wielding Suspect Hides Behind Hat and Mask... Claims, 'I Was on a Cliff'

The man in his 50s who injured eight citizens with a weapon at a large commercial facility in Incheon has appeared before the media for the first time since the incident.

Suspect A (59), who faces charges of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in a public place, entered the Incheon District Court this afternoon (the 16th) for his pre-trial detention warrant hearing.

His handcuffed hands were covered with a cloth shield, and his face was heavily concealed with a hat and mask.

A answered questions from reporters outside the court.

When asked why he committed the crime against strangers and if he had anything to say to the victims, he replied, "I am sorry. I have committed a grave sin, worthy of death."

He then gave somewhat rambling answers when asked why he targeted that specific shopping complex and whether he was trying to flee with 6.8 million won.

A stated, "I wasn't thinking of running away; I did it because pressure was coming at me," adding, "I had set that money aside to donate if things became urgent because I was advised that the hospital would even strip away every single penny, and fleeing was definitely not my intention."

When asked what kind of pressure he received, he explained, "I staged a one-person protest for two and a half months due to side effects from hospital treatment, but instead they pressured me with a civil lawsuit," and claimed, "There was pressure from a lawyer saying they would scrape away every last penny through civil litigation."

To the question of whether he committed the crime to attract attention, A answered, "That's not it, it's because they created a situation where I had no choice but to fall off a cliff." When asked if he only targeted vulnerable people, he answered briefly, "No."

A family member of a victim waiting outside the court today saw A getting out of a police van and protested, shouting, "Why did you do such a thing?"

Today's warrant hearing was conducted by Park Young-ki, the senior judge dedicated to warrants at the Incheon District Court, starting at 2 p.m., and his detention status is expected to be decided late this afternoon.

A is accused of attempting to murder 10 visitors with a weapon around 1:48 p.m. on the 13th at the C&C building, a large commercial facility in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, which houses a large supermarket and a movie theater.

Among the victims, eight were classified as injured, including a 19-year-old woman who remains unconscious, while two others were found to be uninjured.

During police questioning, he claimed, "I had grievances against the hospital where I received skin disease treatment, but due to the hospital's report, I also became subject to a police investigation," adding, "I committed the crime to make news and let society know about my grievances."

It was reported that A has a criminal record of 10 convictions carrying penalties of a fine or heavier, including two prior records for attempted murder.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.