Seohyeon Station killer sentenced to life in prison

Choi Won-jong's driver's license photo (left) and a photo taken at the time of his arrest, as released by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency (Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency)

Choi Won-jong, the 23-year-old man whose stabbing rampage near Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province last year killed two and injured a dozen people, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday by the Suwon District Court.

The court found Choi guilty on multiple charges of murder, attempted murder, and intent to commit murder, and ordered him to be tracked via an electronic ankle monitor for 30 years if he is released on parole.

"(The defendant) sparked fear that anyone could be a victim of a terrorist act, and induced a negative impact (on society), such as frequent online threats of terrorism," the court said in its verdict. The prosecution had requested the death penalty for Choi, saying he has not shown any signs of remorse.

The court dismissed Choi's claim that he had been suffering from a schizophrenic episode at the time of the crime, saying the investigative report and evidence do not back his claim.

Choi is responsible for the Aug. 3, 2023 attack against people at a shopping mall near Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Gyeonggi Province. In the attack, Choi drove into pedestrians, then proceeded to get out of his car and launch a knife attack on passersby. The attack resulted in the deaths of 20-year-old Kim Hye-bin and 65-year-old Lee Hee-nam, both of whom sustained critical injuries from the attack and died while being treated at a local hospital.

Choi had claimed he had suffered from delusions that he was being stalked by the majority of people in the town, saying this led him to launch the attack.

Choi was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2019, but did not receive medical treatment for the illness.

Choi's father, who attended the trial, told reporters that his family had wanted him to receive treatment for his mental illness, and had even considered forcibly admitting him to an institute at one point. "He was adamant (he did not want to be treated). We forced him to receive treatment when he was a kid, but there wasn't anything we could do after he became an adult," he said.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)