Incheon stabbing suspect's prior weapon possession and monitoring status under scrutiny

Authorities are facing scrutiny regarding their response to Choi Chung-rak, a 59-year-old man arrested for an attempted murder spree in Incheon. On October 13, Choi attacked people at a large commercial facility in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, injuring multiple citizens.

Investigations revealed that a month prior to the attack, Choi had conducted a one-person protest in front of a hospital in Gyeyang-gu while brandishing a kitchen knife. Although police responded to reports of the weapon, they reportedly held the knife at a local precinct before returning it to Choi once the protest concluded.

Following a subsequent investigation into public weapon possession, police identified that Choi had a prior record of attempted murder and was wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. While the police notified the Incheon Probation Office of his booking, Choi was managed under a ‘concentrated’ monitoring grade, the second lowest level. The Ministry of Justice did not upgrade his risk management level despite the notification. Choi has reportedly stated his motive was to gain social attention due to grievances with a medical facility.