Professor Oh Yoonseong: "Son's Shooter Likely Motivated by Longstanding Sense of Deprivation and Revenge"

"Killing an Adult Child in Front of Family"
"An Extremely Rare Incident Worldwide... My First Time Seeing Such a Case"

In Songdo, Incheon, a man in his 60s, referred to as Mr. A, killed his son, Mr. B, who was in his 30s, using a homemade firearm. Oh Yoonseong, a professor of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University, analyzed that "(the suspect's) actions may have been meticulously calculated."

On July 22, during an appearance on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show,' Professor Oh stated, "He did not drink alcohol before committing the crime, nor does he have a history of mental illness or diminished mental capacity. While sober, he attacked only his son at the scene, where his daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and acquaintances were also present."

Professor Oh also analyzed the psychology of Mr. A, who killed his son. He said, "He reportedly received financial support for 20 years as a father or husband, which likely led to a significant sense of deprivation. From the husband's perspective, feelings of helplessness, inferiority, anger, and jealousy may have manifested as a desire for revenge. The problem is that this type of incident is extremely rare globally. I have never seen a case where an adult child is killed in front of their own family."

Police and fire authorities dispatched to the scene of the Incheon Songdo shooting incident that occurred on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, after being urgently arrested by the police, Mr. A testified that he had installed flammable materials at his home in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. Regarding his psychology in hiding hazardous substances at home and later confessing, Professor Oh speculated, "He must have realized he had committed a tremendous act. If a fire were to break out at his home while he was in custody, innocent people could be killed or injured, and he would not be able to handle the consequences. In a way, I think he came to terms with reality."

When asked by the host, "Is it possible that Mr. A made a homemade firearm after watching YouTube videos?" Professor Oh responded, "According to his statement, Mr. A was quite skilled with his hands. Although YouTube channels that upload firearm-making videos have a very negative impact, it is realistically impossible to regulate YouTube itself in Korea, so it will be difficult to control such risks."

The incident occurred at around 9:31 p.m. on July 20, at an apartment on the 33rd floor in Songdo-dong. On the day of the crime, Mr. B had organized a birthday party for Mr. A. During the gathering, which included Mr. A's daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and acquaintances, Mr. A brought a firearm and fired it.

After the crime, the police tracked Mr. A, who fled by car, and apprehended him at around 12:20 a.m. the following day in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, before transferring him to Incheon. After his emergency arrest, Mr. A stated that he had installed flammable materials at his home. The police deployed the Seoul Metropolitan Police SWAT team, evacuated a total of 105 people, including 69 apartment residents, and removed the hazardous materials.