The man in his 50s who wielded a weapon at a large commercial facility in Incheon, injuring eight citizens, has appeared before the press for the first time since the incident.

A (59), facing charges of attempted murder and carrying a weapon in a public place, arrived this afternoon (October 16) at the Incheon District Court for his warrant review hearing before arrest.

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

A answered questions from reporters gathered outside the court.

When asked why he targeted strangers and if he had anything to say to the victims, he said, "I am sorry. I have committed a sin punishable by death."

He then gave a somewhat rambling response when asked why he targeted that specific shopping center and whether he intended to flee with 6.8 million won.

A stated, "It wasn't that I was trying to run away; it was because pressure was mounting on me," adding, "I received advice that even a single 10-won coin could be taken away from me at the hospital, so I had set that money aside to donate if things got urgent. It was never an escape."

Asked what kind of pressure he experienced, 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," adding, "There was pressure from a lawyer who said they would strip away every single 10-won coin through a civil suit."

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

A family member of a victim waiting outside the court today spotted A stepping out of the police van and shouted in protest, "Why did you do such a thing?"

Today's warrant hearing was presided over by Park Young-ki, the senior judge dedicated to warrants at the Incheon District Court, starting at 2 p.m., with a decision on his arrest expected late into the afternoon.

A is suspected of trying to murder 10 visitors with a weapon around 1:48 p.m. on October 13 at the See & See commercial building 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 unhurt.

During police questioning, he claimed, "I had grievances against a hospital where I received treatment for a skin condition, but the hospital reported me, leading to a police investigation," and added, "I committed the crime to make headlines so that I could make my grievances known to society."

A is known to have a criminal record consisting of 10 offenses resulting in fines or heavier punishments, including two prior convictions for attempted murder.

(Photo: Yonhap News)