A former head of a redevelopment association, who caused the death of one person and injured two others during a knife rampage at the association office in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, partially denied the charges at his first trial.
The 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Kang Minho) held the first hearing on January 16 for Mr. Cho (67), who is charged with retaliatory murder and attempted murder under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
Cho's defense attorney stated, "We admit to the attempted murder, but deny the charge of retaliatory murder." When the court asked Cho to confirm whether he acknowledged the charges of murder and attempted murder but denied retaliatory murder, he replied, "That is correct."
Cho was indicted for attacking a woman in her 60s and a man in his 70s, and killing a woman in her 50s, during a knife rampage at the redevelopment association office in Cheonho-dong at around 10:20 a.m. on November 4 last year.
It is known that Cho committed the knife attack after one of the victims refused to withdraw a complaint against him for alleged sexual assault, for which he was to stand trial in July last year.
The next trial for Cho is scheduled for January 23.
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