A man in his 30s, Mr. A, who is accused of fatally attacking a neighbor in an apartment complex with a Japanese sword, attended a pre-trial detention hearing at Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu on the morning of the 1st. Mr. A is accused of killing a man in his 40s, Mr. B, by wielding a 120cm Japanese sword in front of the apartment complex gate in Eunpyeong-gu at around 11:27 p.m. on the 29th. The court will decide whether to detain Mr. A on suspicion of murder after conducting a substantive examination of the arrest warrant.
Mr. A, wearing a black hat and a mask to cover his face, arrived at the court and showed no signs of remorse, stating, “I don’t have any apologies to the victim.” The Seoul Western District Court proceeded with the arrest warrant review for Mr. A on suspicion of murder starting at 10:30 a.m. on the same day to determine whether to detain him. When asked by reporters if he committed the crime because he thought the victim was following him, Mr. A replied, “Yes.” In response to why he refused a drug test, he gave a bizarre answer saying, “Because of secret spies.”
Subsequently, when asked if he usually carried weapons or if there were any conflicts at his workplace, Mr. A denied both. He remained silent when asked if he had anything to say to the victim’s family but bluntly stated that he didn’t feel sorry for the victim. The incident occurred when Mr. A approached a 40-year-old resident smoking a cigarette at the entrance of an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu around 11:30 p.m. on the 29th and brutally murdered him by wielding a 100cm Japanese sword. Mr. A claimed that he murdered the victim because he believed the victim was a spy following him. However, it was confirmed that the two had merely crossed paths and did not have a prior relationship.
Meanwhile, the police announced on the 1st that they would conduct a thorough investigation into the possession of bladed weapons as part of follow-up measures related to the incident. This was prompted by concerns raised about issues in the management system of bladed weapons. Police plan to revoke possession permits if an individual has a criminal record or a history of domestic violence after obtaining a possession permit. Furthermore, they will strengthen the procedure for new possession permits, including face-to-face interviews with applicants and refusing permits if possession is deemed risky.