Crime Scene and Elevator CCTV Footage Released
Wiping Hair While Looking in Mirror with Blood-Stained Hands
A CCTV video capturing the scene of a perpetrator wielding a weapon and killing a stranger in an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, has been released. The assailant showed a calm demeanor after the crime, looking at his bloodied hands and touching his hair in the elevator, sparking public outrage.
On the 3rd, JTBC reported the CCTV footage from the Japanese sword murder case that occurred around 11:22 p.m. on July 29 in an apartment in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. At the time of the incident, the victim, Mr. A (43), had briefly stepped outside his home to smoke a cigarette when he was fatally stabbed in the neck by Mr. Baek (37), a resident of the same apartment complex.
Baek looking at his blood-stained hand in the elevator after the crime Photo by JTBC Newsroom capture
The released CCTV footage clearly shows Mr. Baek approaching and attacking Mr. A. Carrying a golf bag containing the Japanese sword, Mr. Baek suddenly pulled out the blade and swung it at Mr. A, who was across the street. Mr. A, wounded on the shoulder, ran to the security booth and asked the guard to call for help, but Mr. Baek chased him and continued to wield the weapon. Ultimately, Mr. A collapsed in front of the security booth and died from his injuries.
Mr. Baek was again captured on camera in the elevator. After the crime, he took the elevator to return home, his entire body stained with blood, and the weapon used was bent. The CCTV footage shows Mr. Baek looking at his bloodied hands and adjusting his hair while looking in the mirror. Later, he changed clothes at home and sat in his room, where he was arrested without resistance.
During police questioning, Mr. Baek made baseless claims such as "I committed this act to eliminate Chinese spies" and "I thought the victim was a spy who was continuously stalking me." He also stated, "I am not mentally ill; I acted with a sound mind," and when asked by reporters if he felt any remorse toward the victim’s family, he replied, "No."
The victim, Mr. A, was an ordinary father with two young sons aged 9 and 4. The bereaved family told JTBC, "We still can't believe it. It feels like he will come home after work, but he didn’t come back yesterday either. I hate this house. I hate waking up in the morning," expressing their pain. The family claims this was a premeditated murder and demands the disclosure of Mr. Baek’s identity and severe punishment under the Serious Crime Public Disclosure Act.
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