'Shillim-dong Weapon Rampage' Identity Disclosure Committee to be Held on 26th... First Distributor of Video Booked

The police will hold a personal information disclosure review committee regarding Jo (33), who went on a stabbing rampage in the heart of downtown Seoul. They have also launched an investigation into the indiscriminate distribution of videos capturing the crime scene.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated at a press briefing on the morning of the 24th, “We have decided to hold a personal information disclosure review committee for the suspect in the Sillim-dong incident on the 26th.” Jo is accused of wielding a weapon in an alley near Exit 4 of Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, at around 2:07 p.m. on the 21st, killing a man in his 20s and injuring three other men.

Personal information disclosure is a system established for the public’s right to know and crime prevention effects. It allows the release of the suspect’s face, name, age, and other details if all the following conditions are met: ▲ the crime method was brutal and caused serious harm in a specific violent crime case ▲ there is sufficient evidence to believe the suspect committed the crime ▲ public interest such as the public’s right to know, prevention of recidivism, and crime prevention ▲ the suspect is not a juvenile (under 19 years old).

Additionally, the police explained, “Videos of the brutal crime scene are being indiscriminately distributed online,” and “We have booked and are investigating the person who first distributed the video.” The police are taking measures to delete and block the videos, as the circulation of CCTV footage showing the crime scene is causing serious secondary harm to the bereaved families and victims.

The police also conducted witness interviews related to four reports of private education cartels assigned to the Serious Crime Investigation Division of the National Investigation Headquarters and stated their intention to respond strictly through data collection and analysis. They added that, given the public interest in the matter, they are also putting effort into gathering intelligence independently.

Regarding the prosecution’s search and seizure of related institutions, including the Chungbuk Provincial Office, in connection with the Osong Underpass disaster in Chungbuk on the morning of the same day, Commissioner Yoon drew a line, saying, “The future direction of the investigation will be decided in consultation with the prosecution.” On the issue of police accountability raised in connection with the accident, he responded, “Not only the police but other institutions will be subject to thorough investigations without exception, and those responsible will have to bear appropriate accountability.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.