The Ministry of Justice announced on the 13th that it would conduct a comprehensive review of the electronic monitoring guidance and supervision system following a violent stabbing incident in Incheon.
The ministry stated, “We deeply apologize for causing great concern to the public regarding the violent incident involving an electronic monitoring subject,” and added, “We are thoroughly investigating the circumstances of the incident and the entire electronic monitoring management process. Prioritizing the safety and lives of citizens, we will focus all our capabilities on institutional improvements and supplementary measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.”
Around 1:49 p.m. the same day, a man in his 50s, Mr. A, an electronic monitoring subject, wielded a weapon at a Homeplus store in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, injuring eight people. According to police and other sources, Ms. B, a woman in her 20s on the second floor of the mall, was transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest. In the basement, one woman in her 40s, five individuals including a man in his 30s on the second floor, and one woman in her 50s on the third floor were stabbed in the back and shoulder areas and taken to hospitals. Police arrested Mr. A at the scene and are investigating his motive and the details of the crime.
Mr. A was previously imprisoned for attempted murder. According to the Ministry of Justice, he has been under electronic monitoring since 2019 and has been receiving psychiatric treatment. Recently, he was under investigation for allegedly carrying a weapon while protesting alone at a hospital where he had conflicts. He also received alcohol addiction and psychological counseling to alleviate his mental health symptoms.
On the day of the incident, Mr. A received addiction counseling from an external expert for an hour starting at 10 a.m., four hours before the crime. From 11:25 a.m., he had a meeting with a probation officer and underwent a medication check for psychiatric treatment. The test confirmed he had taken his medication. He also had lunch with the probation officer until 12:30 p.m. The ministry stated that Mr. A did not damage or attempt to damage his electronic device and had no violations of compliance requirements.
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