'Seohyeon Station Stabbing' Choi Won-jong Commits Indiscriminate Crime Driven by Paranoia

Police Investigation Results Announced
Most Search Keywords Are 'Stalking' and 'Organization'

The 'Seohyeon Station Stabbing Rampage' incident, which resulted in 14 casualties, was found to be a crime committed due to the delusions of the suspect, Choi Won-jong (22, male).

The Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency's special investigation team for the stabbing rampage held a briefing at 2 p.m. on the 9th at the Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "We are considering the Seohyeon Station stabbing rampage incident as a crime caused by mental illness."

Choi is accused of causing an accident by driving a vehicle toward pedestrians in front of the AK Plaza department store in Seohyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, connected to Seohyeon Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, at around 5:59 p.m. on the 3rd, then getting out with a weapon and wildly swinging it at citizens. As a result of Choi Won-jong's crime, one person died and 13 were injured.

The police responded to multiple 112 emergency calls at the time of the incident, arriving at the scene and arresting Choi at 6:05 p.m., just six minutes after the report. Considering the seriousness of the case, they formed a special investigation team of 63 members led by the chief of the Bundang Police Station and began the investigation. They analyzed CCTV footage by time of the crime, conducted forensic analysis of two of Choi’s mobile phones and his PC, and interrogated Choi three times as a suspect. Additionally, they conducted profiler interviews, medical record analyses, and investigations of acquaintances to thoroughly investigate the motive and process of the crime.

The police explained that Choi consistently exhibited delusional symptoms in his statements and forensic investigations of his phones and PC. Most of the keywords Choi searched for were related to 'stalking' and 'organization.' During police questioning, Choi reportedly claimed he was attacked by a stalking organization using 'radiation' or 'radio wave weapons.' The police concluded that Choi, who was diagnosed with 'schizoid personality disorder' in 2020, had not received any treatment and committed the crime due to delusions.

Chief of Bundang Police Station Mo Sang-myo is announcing the investigation results regarding the suspect Choi Won-jong in the 'Seohyeon Station Stabbing Incident.'
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding why Choi chose Seohyeon Station as the crime scene, he stated, "I thought there would be many members of the stalking organization in places near my residence where many people gather." The police also confirmed that Choi initially planned to commit the crime on the 2nd but postponed it to the next day due to social phobia. The police explained, "Choi purchased a weapon and went to Seohyeon Station on the 2nd but did not carry out the act because he said he was 'afraid and struggling due to social phobia.' He thought that using a vehicle might reduce his fear, so he drove a car and committed the crime the following day."

It was also confirmed that Choi posted 14 posts on an online community while planning the crime. He stated that he posted because he believed the stalking organization was monitoring his posts. Choi posted messages such as 'massacre' and 'I wish crime were legalized' to warn the stalking organization. The post on the day of the crime saying 'Going to Seohyeon Station to eat dessert' was also intended to lure stalkers to the crime scene. It is reported that Choi also had the expectation that if he went to prison after the crime, he would be protected by public authority. The police stated, "Choi said he thought he would be protected by public authority in prison and that the stalking organization would be exposed to the world and caught by the police after the crime."

However, the police believe that Choi's crime is not strongly connected to the stabbing rampage incident in Sillim-dong, Seoul. The police said, "Forensic investigations showed that searches or visits related to the Sillim-dong incident were not significant, only at the level of encountering a major issue," and "Profiler consultations also indicated it does not appear to be an imitation crime." Choi reportedly regrets the crime but has not expressed any intention to apologize to the victims. The police plan to send Choi to the prosecution on the morning of the 10th on charges of murder, attempted murder, and attempted murder preparation.

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