Choi Choong-rak Referred to Prosecution; Probation Office's Metal Detector Was Turned Off

[Anchor]

Choi Choong-rak, who is accused of indiscriminately swinging a weapon at citizens in a large commercial complex in Incheon, has been transferred to the prosecution office in custody. It was confirmed that Choi visited a probation office with a weapon in his bag on the day of the crime, but the authorities failed to detect it because the metal detector was turned off at the time.

Reporter Jeong Jiyeon has the details.

[Reporter]

Choi Choong-rak, 59, who went on a weapon rampage at a large commercial building in Guwol-dong, Incheon.

Choi, whose identity was publicly disclosed, walked out of the Incheon Namdong Police Station without covering his face with a hat or a mask.

[Choi Choong-rak : (The victim is unconscious. Do you have anything to say?) I am sorry to the innocent victims. (Who do you think the innocent victims are?) Everyone who was there.]

Transferring Choi in custody this morning (October 23) on charges of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in a public place, the police stated, "There was at least eventual intent to commit murder."

Previously, Choi was known to have stated during police questioning that while he did swing a weapon, he had no intention to kill.

Among the 10 people attacked during the weapon rampage on the 13th, 8 were injured, and a 19-year-old woman who was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest has not yet regained consciousness.

Choi served four years in prison in the past for attempted murder and had been under probation while wearing an electronic ankle monitor. It was confirmed that even when he visited the probation office on the day of the crime, he had multiple weapons inside his backpack, but authorities failed to notice them because the metal detector was turned off at the time.

It was also found through police questioning that Choi stated, "I targeted people who seemed weaker than me," and "I had considered a daycare center as a target for the crime." When reporters asked if it was true that he had considered children as targets, he made no response.

The police plan to make an all-out response to the series of violent crimes, including easing public anxiety caused by this weapon rampage and preventing copycat crimes.

(Camera and video reporting by Yang Hyun-chul | Video editing by Kim Jin-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.