"Carrying Weapon to Pierce Signage"... No Police Action Taken

[Anchor]

Choi, the suspect in the random stabbing attack, was investigated by police just a week before the crime for possessing a weapon in a public place. However, the police did not even conduct a "risk assessment" to check for the possibility of it leading to a motiveless crime.

Reporter Kim Minjun has the details.

[Reporter]

Choi, a man in his 50s suspected of the stabbing attack, told police that he demanded a settlement at a hospital in Incheon after receiving treatment for athlete's foot that did not improve, but his demand was rejected.

Harboring a grudge, he began a one-man protest on August 19. The hospital reported him to the police a total of six times—four times for spreading false information and obstructing business, and twice on September 9 for "carrying a weapon."

The weapon was actually found, and he was booked and investigated by police on charges of "possessing a weapon in a public place," which occurred just a week before his stabbing spree.

The crime of "possessing a weapon in a public place" was introduced in April of last year to prevent motiveless crimes targeting unspecified individuals for unknown reasons, similar to the stabbing incidents at Sillim Station and Seohyun Station in 2023.

It allows for the punishment of individuals who possess or display weapons in public places without justifiable reasons, and stipulates that if police determine through a checklist evaluation that there is a risk of leading to a motiveless crime, measures such as arrest or emergency hospitalization should be taken.

However, in Choi's case, even the checklist evaluation was not conducted. The police explained that at the time, Choi claimed he "used the weapon to make holes in his one-man protest sign," and no behavior threatening nearby citizens was confirmed.

The electronic ankle monitor worn out of concern for reoffending, the Ministry of Justice's probation, and the newly introduced crime of possessing weapons in a public place last year all failed to prevent or stop Choi's brutal crime.

[Bae Sang-hoon / Professor of Police and Criminal Psychology at Woosuk University: The police's investigation information and the Ministry of Justice's probation network are not compatible. If integrated, information such as electronic ankle monitor data and criminal records could be combined to predict that carrying a weapon creates a high risk of committing a crime.]

Experts emphasized that in order to more clearly assess the purpose and risk of carrying a weapon, information sharing between relevant authorities must become smoother than it is now.

(Photo: Newsis | Video: Kim Hangyul, Video Editing: Kim Yun-seong, Design: Seo Seung-hyun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.