After Sillim Station, a stabbing tragedy also at Seohyeon Station... Comparing the two incidents

Chosun Attacked Only Male Peers with a Weapon... Mr. Choi's Indiscriminate Stabbing
Commonality: Both Used Weapons Against Multiple Unspecified People in Busy Areas

Concerns among citizens are growing as a series of violent attacks with weapons targeting strangers have occurred in the heart of the city with heavy foot traffic. On the 3rd, just 13 days after Chosun (33) carried out a stabbing incident in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul on the 21st of last month, Choi (22) attacked pedestrians near AK Plaza at Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, first hitting them with a vehicle and then wielding a weapon.

Both incidents are similar in that they targeted strangers during times and at locations with heavy foot traffic. This has led to speculation that the Bundang stabbing might be a copycat crime influenced by Chosun’s attack. The average daily number of users at Sillim Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, where Chosun committed the crime, exceeds 110,000, and the location where Choi wielded the weapon was near AK Plaza at Seohyeon Station, known as the "Myeongdong of Bundang."

However, there are differences in the gender and age of the victims. Chosun, who stated that he felt a sense of inferiority toward males his age due to his short stature, attacked young men, resulting in the death of one man in his 20s and serious injuries to three men in their 30s.

On the other hand, Choi wielded the weapon indiscriminately regardless of age or gender. Among the nine victims injured by Choi’s weapon, four were male and five were female. Their ages varied as well: five in their 20s, one in their 40s, one in their 50s, one in their 60s, and one in their 70s.

There are also differences in police statements. Chosun testified that he committed the crime out of a sense of inferiority toward males his age and dissatisfaction with reality, whereas Choi claimed that "someone tried to hire a hitman to kill me" and that "my private life is being stalked." According to statements from Choi’s family, he dropped out of high school due to social phobia and was diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder 2 to 3 years ago.

The police believe that Choi committed the crime while suffering from mental illnesses such as delusional disorder.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, prior to the random stabbing incident at a department store near Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, the suspect drove a compact car onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians and injuring four people. The photo shows the vehicle used by the suspect. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, experts point out the need for a thorough investigation into Choi’s history of mental illness and his statements.

Chosun also falsely claimed to the police at the time of his arrest that he had taken fentanyl and later asserted that he was suffering from depression, but no records of treatment for mental illness in the past 10 years have been confirmed. This has led to speculation that such statements might have been attempts to seek reduced sentencing due to diminished mental capacity.

On the 4th, Professor Lee Su-jeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University appeared on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show" and emphasized, "It is necessary to investigate whether the motive behind the crime was delusions caused by mental illness or if the claim of mental illness is intended to seek mitigation due to diminished mental capacity."

Professor Lee pointed out doubts about whether Choi’s crime could be seen as the act of a person with schizophrenia, citing the fact that he prepared a weapon before the crime. She said, "It seems that he judged that the most efficient and direct way to harm the most people in the square was to drive a vehicle directly into the square, and he also brought a weapon in advance. Considering this level of planning, there is doubt as to whether this can be explained solely as the act of a person with schizophrenia."

Senior Researcher Seung Jae-hyun of the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice Policy emphasized that various possibilities such as anger crime, copycat crime, and crime due to mental illness should be kept open in the investigation of Choi’s crime. Appearing on YTN’s "News Rider" on the same day, Senior Researcher Seung explained, "If Choi truly believed that someone was following him, it can be seen as a crime caused by mental illness."

Senior Researcher Seung also noted, "Choi wore a mask and pulled his hood over his head," suggesting that "considering his attempt to hide his crime, it could also be a copycat crime," leaving the possibility open.