Man went on stabbing rampage to protect himself from 'stalkers': police

Choi Won-jong, the suspect behind the deadly knife attack last week in a department store in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, went on the stabbing rampage because he believed he was being stalked by a group of people, police investigation reports revealed Wednesday.

During Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police’s press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, the police stated that they will file for an arrest warrant against Choi on Thursday for murder, attempted murder and preliminary murder.

“Choi appears to have planned the crime in advance, given how he purchased his weapon prior to the incident and from his statements,” said Bundang Police Station chief police officer Mo Sang-myo.

“The suspect believes that there is a group of stalkers that wish to harm him and that the victims of the crime (last) Thursday actually belong to the said group of stalkers. The police have concluded that Choi committed the crime to protect himself.”

In addition to questioning Choi, the police also conducted digital forensic analyses on Choi’s two cell phones and a computer. Most keywords that Choi searched for include “stalking” and “gang."

Last Thursday, Choi rammed a car into a crowd outside a department store before going into a department store and attacked shoppers with a knife. Fourteen people were injured, and among them one died, with one still left in critical condition, as of Wednesday.

Police said the victims did not know Choi personally. Choi has a history of mental illness, media reports said quoting police. He was diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder from 2015 to 2020.

Prior to the investigation results being released, it was revealed that Choi had searched on the internet about the stabbing incident that occurred on July 21 at Sillim Station in Gwanak District, southern Seoul.

While critics stated that Choi’s crime could have been a copycat crime of the stabbing rampage in Sillim Station, police have denied the claims, saying that Choi began planning the crime before the Sillim stabbing. His search results before July 21 showed he looked for words such as “sashimi knife,” “tear gas gun,” “covert stab vests” and “illegal to carry around knives."

During the police investigation, Choi also told police that he feels “regretful” of his actions and that he is willing to “submit a written apology.”

“Choi said that if he could go back in time before he committed the crime, he wouldn’t do it again. However, because he believes that there are stalkers that wish to harm him amongst the victims, he does not entirely feel sorry toward them,” said Mo.

Choi's identity was revealed on Monday after the police review committee recognized the "brutality of the crime and the seriousness of the damages." A suspect's identity and personal information is very rarely revealed before conviction in Korea.

“In the future, the police will intensify policing activities to reassure the public and respond swiftly and strictly to all crimes involving weapons, including taking quick measures to respond to stabbing threat messages being posted online,” said Mo.