“First time tattoos have looked cool” ... Unexpected praise pours in for man in his 30s who stopped a knife rampage in Incheon

[Financial News] The tattoos covering both arms of a man in his 30s who helped subdue a knife-wielding suspect at a mixed-use commercial complex in Incheon have become a topic of conversation online.
Na Hyun-jun, 31, who was at the scene when the incident occurred, said in a media interview, “I was sitting down to eat with my girlfriend when suddenly people came running over, shouting,” and “A man was swinging a knife in each hand, one longer than the other.”
Na also picked up a nearby chair and headed toward the scene. He said, “The restaurant owner was blocking him with a chair, and I thought they wouldn’t be able to stop him alone, so I helped,” adding, “The only thing I could pick up in that situation was a chair.”
Earlier, at around 1:49 p.m. on the 13th, a man in his 50s, identified as A, brandished a weapon at a mixed-use commercial complex in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon. A woman in her 20s was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest, and seven members of the public were injured. Police arrested A at the scene as a suspect caught in the act and are investigating the exact motive and circumstances of the crime.
After the interview was released, netizens’ attention turned to Na’s arms. As he used gestures to explain the tense situation, the so-called “irezumi” tattoo covering his entire arms was clearly visible on screen.
Irezumi is a style of tattooing large traditional Japanese designs over the entire arm or back. It has long been viewed with aversion, as it is seen as a symbol of the Japanese yakuza and South Korean organized crime groups.
Netizens called it an “unexpected twist,” saying Na’s actions in confronting the knife-wielding suspect stood in contrast to his tattoos. Online, comments included, “For the first time, someone with tattoos looks cool,” “I don’t like tattoos, but I see that person differently,” and “He shattered my prejudice against tattoos.”

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