"Customers Plunged" and "Medical Bills Unpaid" After Stabbing Rampage

[Anchor]

Similar to the arson attack you just saw, but with a different method, the stabbing rampage in Incheon left innocent citizens victimized for no apparent reason. The multi-use commercial building where the incident took place has seen a sharp decline in customers, leaving merchants struggling and voicing their hardships.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri revisited the scene.

[Reporter]

A multi-use commercial building in Guwol-dong, Incheon, during lunchtime.

At the 2nd-floor restaurant area where the stabbing rampage by Choi Choong-rak occurred on the 13th, merchants complain that customers have visibly decreased ever since that day.

[Restaurant Area Merchant: We should be filling about 30 tables just during lunchtime, but there are days when we only get 10 all day long. Business has plummeted to a fraction of what it was.]

[Restaurant Area Merchant: If things keep going like this, we won't be able to pay salaries. We won't be able to keep our doors open either because we're running deficits.]

As merchants sink deeper into despair over the noticeable drop in customers following the incident, a QR code urging the strict punishment of stabbing suspect Choi Choong-rak has been posted in one corner of the restaurant area.

While some restaurants run by merchants who stepped up to subdue Choi at the time have received supportive customers coming to show their support through a phenomenon called "donjjul" (spending money to support good deeds),

[Restaurant Customer (from Michuhol-gu, Incheon): I wondered how the owner could find such courage... After watching that video, I came to support them with my wallet.]

even those places have seen a decrease in customers compared to before the incident.

[Merchant Whose Restaurant Subdued Choi Choong-rak: There is a huge difference. In my case, because I was on TV, the shop still has some customers, but you have to consider that other places are struggling.]

While a 19-year-old woman transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest has still not regained consciousness, she and the 7 other injured victims must worry about mounting daily medical bills.

[When we asked how the medical expenses for the injured people would be handled, they said Incheon City has not allocated a budget for it yet.]

Although a city ordinance exists to support victims of random-target crimes like this one, it was found that Incheon City did not allocate a related budget for this year.

Furthermore, among the 16 coverage items in the citizen safety insurance subscribed to by Incheon City, violent crimes were not included.

Incheon City explained that victims are currently being supported through other funding sources, such as Ministry of Justice budgets, via the Incheon Crime Victim Support Center, for which the city finances a portion.

Earlier, the Incheon Prosecutors' Office stated that it provided 50 million won in emergency relief funds and 3.5 million won in emergency livelihood stabilization funds to the 19-year-old woman who sustained serious injuries.

(Video filming: Lee Chan-soo | Video editing: Kim Ho-jin | VJ: Lee Jun-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.