Acting National Police Commissioner visits scene of Incheon knife rampage, vows to do everything possible to prevent copycat crimes

[Financial News] Acting National Police Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol visited the scene of the knife rampage in Incheon and pledged a thorough investigation into what happened and measures to prevent a recurrence.
At around 8:50 p.m. on the 13th, after visiting the commercial building housing a Homeplus store in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, and inspecting the scene, Acting Commissioner Kim said, “I offer my heartfelt words of comfort to everyone who has suffered greatly in this incident, and wish them a speedy recovery.”
He continued, “I would also like to thank the citizens who bravely subdued the suspect despite putting themselves at risk. I chaired a video conference this afternoon with the heads of police agencies across the country, and instructed the Incheon police chief to quickly and thoroughly determine the motive for the crime and the circumstances of the incident,” he said.
Acting Commissioner Kim stressed, “Going forward, we will concentrate all available police personnel, focusing on facilities that draw large crowds, and do our utmost to prevent secondary harm to victims and copycat crimes through visible patrols and cyber monitoring.”
He also outlined measures to support victims. Acting Commissioner Kim added, “We will pair crime victims one-on-one with dedicated victim-support police officers and spare no effort in providing legal, psychological and financial assistance so they can overcome the trauma of this incident and return to their daily lives as soon as possible. We will ensure there is not the slightest lapse in protecting the lives and safety of the public.”
Earlier, immediately after the incident occurred that day, Acting Commissioner Kim held an emergency meeting of bureau and department heads and, at 5:30 p.m., chaired a video conference with the heads of police agencies across the country. At the meetings, he instructed police to deploy sufficient personnel at crowded locations and step up proactive enforcement against carrying knives in public places and online posts threatening similar crimes.
Earlier that day, at around 1:40 p.m., A, 59, who had a prior record for attempted murder, wielded a knife at visitors he did not know at a large commercial facility in Namdong-gu, Incheon.
Nine members of the public suffered minor to serious injuries in the incident, and one was taken to hospital in cardiac arrest and is receiving treatment. A, who was reportedly wearing an electronic location-tracking device (an electronic ankle monitor) at the time of the attack, was subdued at the scene and arrested as a suspect caught in the act. Police are investigating the precise motive and circumstances of the attack.


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