Man arrested after threatening subway passerby with weapon

A man was arrested after threatening a passerby with a weapon at a subway station in Seoul on Tuesday.

A logo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A man was arrested after threatening a passerby with a weapon at a subway station in Seoul on Tuesday.

Seoul Gwanak Police Precinct in southern Seoul said it apprehended the man at around 8:10 a.m. on suspicion of making a Special Intimidation under the Criminal Act. The charge is defined as issuing a threat while displaying force as part of a group or crowd, or while carrying a dangerous weapon.

The man allegedly pulled a weapon from his bag and threatened another man after the two bumped shoulders near the ticket gates at Sillim Station on Line No. 2 in Gwanak District.

The suspect was subdued by the passerby and then taken into custody by responding officers. No injuries were reported.

Police said they are considering placing the suspect under emergency psychiatric commitment, noting indications of mental illness.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHO MUN-GYU [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]