A man in his 60s who went on a knife rampage at a restaurant in Gangbuk District, Seoul, on the 26th and killed the owner has been arrested and detained.
On the 28th, after a pretrial detention hearing (warrant review) for A, a man in his 60s accused of murder and attempted murder, Heo Myeongsan, chief judge of the Criminal Division 2 single-judge panel at the Seoul Northern District Court, issued an arrest warrant, saying there was a risk of flight.
A is accused of wielding a weapon against the two restaurant owners, a married couple, at a restaurant in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk District, around 2 p.m. on the 26th. The woman in her 60s who was injured in the incident died on the morning of the 27th. The man in his 60s underwent surgery but was reported to be in critical condition.
When A appeared at court that morning, A answered in a low voice, "I am sorry," to a reporter's question, "Aren't you sorry to the bereaved family?" A then gave a brief "Yes" when asked, "Are you reflecting on what you did?"
In a police investigation, A was found to have brandished a weapon during payment after the meal, saying the restaurant "did not give a lottery ticket." The restaurant had been giving customers who ordered alcohol a 1,000-won lottery ticket. However, the day of the incident was a Sunday, so the restaurant could not buy lottery tickets.
A agreed to receive a price discount instead of a lottery ticket, but reportedly got into another argument with the victims. The victims were said to have tried to persuade A to go home by saying they would not charge for the meal.
Police arrested A at the scene and, after questioning, applied for an arrest warrant the day before. Prosecutors immediately requested the warrant from the court.