Weapon Rampage at Hair Salon... Army Officer Subdues Man in His Twenties

Sergeant Choi Younghyun of the Army 22nd Infantry Division
"It Is Only Natural to Protect the Lives and Safety of the People"

An Army noncommissioned officer subdued a man in his 20s who caused a disturbance at a hair salon by trying to open a safe and even wielding a weapon.

According to Yonhap News, the police, and the Army 22nd Infantry Division on the 24th, at around 4 p.m. on the 10th, a man in his 20s, identified only as A, caused a disturbance at a hair salon in Goseong, Gangwon Province, by trying to open a safe placed on the counter. Staff Sergeant Choi Younghyun of the 22nd Infantry Division’s Bihobattalion, who had visited the salon for personal grooming, witnessed the situation. Staff Sergeant Choi was carrying out his duty of ensuring transportation safety for soldiers using public bath facilities, and it is reported that he visited the hair salon with his commander’s approval while the soldiers were bathing.

Staff Sergeant Choi Younghyun (left) and hair salon owner Cho Seongmi. Army 22nd Infantry Division, Yonhap News

Seeing the hair salon owner and customers terrified, Staff Sergeant Choi stepped forward himself and tried to talk with A. He then blocked A from coming out from behind the counter, cutting off contact with other people. During this process, the two engaged in a physical struggle for about five minutes. In the midst of this, A suddenly grabbed a box cutter from the salon and threatened him. Staff Sergeant Choi quickly subdued A, forced him to the floor, and took away the weapon. Another male customer at the scene also assisted Staff Sergeant Choi.

Even after that, A continued to use violence, striking Staff Sergeant Choi on the head with a mobile phone he was holding, and he also threatened a responding police officer with a pair of scissors after the incident was reported and officers arrived. After a struggle, the police arrested A at the scene on charges of aggravated assault and are investigating the circumstances of the incident. Staff Sergeant Choi returned to his unit after giving his statement to the police.

At the time, Staff Sergeant Choi left the scene without revealing his identity, but the incident later came to light when the hair salon owner, who wanted to thank him, contacted the Defense Help Call hotline. Hair salon owner Cho Seongmi said, "I was impressed by how he stepped up without hesitation in an urgent situation and calmly resolved it through quick situational judgment," adding, "It reminded me that a soldier is truly a soldier, and this incident has deepened my trust in the military."

Staff Sergeant Choi Younghyun said, "As a soldier, I believe it is my natural duty to protect the lives and safety of the people," and added, "I am above all relieved that everyone who was at the scene was unharmed, and I will continue to fulfill my duties without forgetting my fundamental responsibilities as a soldier."