Suspect in Shillim-dong Weapon Rampage Recants Statement on Drug Use (Comprehensive)

Police Plan to Request Arrest Warrant Today
Motive for Crime: "Trying to Make Others Unhappy Too"

Jo Mo (33), who indiscriminately wielded a weapon near Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, killing one person and injuring three others, was confirmed to have stated, "I wanted to make others unhappy as well."

A police line has been set up near Exit 4 of Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, where a stabbing incident occurred. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Gwanak Police Station on the 22nd, Jo said about his motive, "I live unhappily, so I wanted to make others unhappy too, and I committed the crime full of anger." Regarding the crime scene, he stated, "I had visited a few times before with friends to drink, so I knew it was a crowded place and chose it."

The police initially said that Jo committed the crime while under the influence of drugs immediately after his arrest, but he later retracted his statement. Jo tested negative in a preliminary drug test. The police requested a detailed examination from the National Forensic Service for an accurate analysis.

Jo is accused of stabbing a man in his 20s multiple times with a weapon at the entrance of a shopping alley near Sillim Station around 2:07 p.m. the previous day, then moving further into the alley and wielding the weapon at three men in their 30s. The man in his 20s was taken to the hospital but ultimately died. Among the three men in their 30s, one has been treated and discharged, while the other two are still undergoing treatment.

The police plan to apply charges including murder and attempted murder against Jo and file for an arrest warrant within the day.