Attending the Warrant Hearing Without Remorse,
Cha Cheolnam Criticizes the Victims of the Knife Attacks
Cha Cheolnam, a 56-year-old Chinese-Korean who killed two people and injured two others in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province before fleeing and being apprehended, was formally arrested on May 21.
On this day, the Ansan Branch of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge for warrants: Jeong Jinwoo) conducted a pre-arrest detention hearing for Cha Cheolnam, who is charged with murder and attempted murder, and subsequently issued an arrest warrant. Judge Jeong stated that the warrant was issued due to concerns over flight risk and the possibility of evidence destruction.
Previously, Cha Cheolnam was accused of killing a pair of Chinese-Korean brothers in their 50s with blunt weapons on May 17, one at his own residence in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, and the other at the victim's residence.
Suspect Cha Cheolnam, involved in the Siheung murder case where two people died and two were injured, is leaving the detention center at Siheung Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on the morning of the 21st to attend the pre-arrest detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News
He is also suspected of stabbing a convenience store owner, a woman in her 60s identified as B, at the convenience store where he worked on May 19, and stabbing his landlord, a man in his 70s identified as C, at a sports park located 1.3 kilometers away from the store. Both B and C are reportedly receiving treatment in intensive care units.
When appearing for the pre-arrest detention hearing in the morning, Cha Cheolnam remained silent when asked about his motive for the killings and his relationship with the deceased. However, in response to the question, "Why did you wait two days before committing additional crimes?" he made remarks in a tone suggesting, "They are very bad people," criticizing B and C without expressing any remorse for his actions.
Cha Cheolnam stated that he had lent approximately 30 million won to the A brothers several times since 2013, but after they failed to repay him, he planned the crimes, including purchasing a weapon in advance earlier this month.
After attacking C, Cha Cheolnam fled to the area near Sihwa Lake in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, but was urgently apprehended by police 10 hours after the initial report, following the launch of a public investigation.
The police plan to investigate not only the detailed circumstances of the crimes but also the credibility of Cha Cheolnam's stated motives.
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