Five citizens who helped subdue a man who stabbed and wounded eight people at a large commercial complex in Incheon have received police reward money, authorities said.
According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on the 20th, police paid the reward the previous day to five people who helped restrain Choi Chung-rak, 59.
The recipients included Shin Joong-hyun, 23, who threw a chair to directly subdue Choi, and Na Hyun-joon, 31, who stopped the attack and assisted in restraining him. Three other recipients were recognized for helping hold Choi down and preventing him from moving during the arrest.
Police held the award ceremony quietly without announcing it publicly, in consideration of one victim who remains unconscious and under treatment.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korean National Police Agency are also reviewing plans to give the group government commendations separate from the police reward, according to officials.
Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae earlier wrote on his Facebook account that "thanks to citizens who risked danger to subdue the attacker, greater harm was prevented," adding that he had requested a government commendation.
Choi is accused of attempting to murder 10 people by stabbing them with a knife at the See&See commercial building in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, at about 1:48 p.m. on the 13th. The building houses a large discount store and a movie theater. During police questioning, Choi said he committed the attack to publicize his grievances over becoming the subject of a police investigation following a report by a hospital, according to police.
Eight people, including a 19-year-old woman who remains unconscious, were classified as injured, while two others were unharmed.