4 Injured and Dead in 'Random' Knife Rampage in Sillim-dong Alley... Investigation into Drug Use Underway (Comprehensive Report 2)

by Kong Byeongseon

Published 22 Jul.2023 05:44(KST)

A stabbing incident occurred near Sillim Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. There were four victims, including one male who died.

On the afternoon of the 21st, a police line was set up near Exit 4 of Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, where a stabbing incident occurred. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Gwanak Police Station in Seoul announced on the 21st that they arrested Jo (33) on charges of murder.

According to the police, Jo is accused of wielding a weapon around 2:20 p.m. near Exit 4 of Sillim Station, stabbing a man in his 20s to death and injuring three others. The three injured were taken to a hospital for treatment, with one reported to be in critical condition.

Jo repeatedly stabbed one man with a weapon in an alley and then moved inward, swinging the weapon at three pedestrians. Police who arrived at the scene after receiving a report that "someone stabbed a person and fled" promptly arrested Jo. Before his arrest, Jo reportedly said, "I don't want to live," and did not resist.

Jo was transferred to Gwanak Police Station and is currently under investigation while detained in a holding cell. Jo, a Korean national, has three prior convictions including assault and has been sent to juvenile detention 14 times. He is unemployed, and the police have determined that he did not know any of the four victims.

Jo lived between his residence in Incheon and his grandmother's house in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, and it is understood that he had visited his grandmother's house on the day of the incident. With Jo's consent, the police searched his residence and obtained one mobile phone voluntarily. A preliminary drug test came back negative, and a detailed analysis has been requested from the National Forensic Service.