Choi Chung-rak, 59, who was arrested on suspicion of stabbing 10 people at a large commercial complex in Incheon, scored below the threshold for psychopathy, or antisocial personality disorder, on a diagnostic test.
According to police on the 22nd, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency administered the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to Choi, who was recently detained on charges of attempted murder and carrying a bladed weapon in a public place, and found his score came in below 25. The test has a maximum score of 40, and in South Korea a score of 25 or higher is classified as psychopathy.
Police deployed a profiler to interview Choi and assessed personality traits including impulsivity, lack of empathy and irresponsibility through responses to 20 items. Police who detained Choi are conducting further investigation into why he indiscriminately wielded a weapon against complete strangers and whether the crime was premeditated.
Choi was arrested at the scene at about 1:48 p.m. on the 13th of this month on suspicion of attempting to murder 10 people by stabbing them at the see&see commercial building in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon. Eight of the victims were injured, while the other two were unharmed. Among the injured, a 19-year-old woman remains unconscious.
At the time of the incident, Choi moved by escalator from the second basement level, where a large discount store is located, up to the above-ground floors while wielding the weapon. He injured one person on the first basement level, six on the second floor and one on the third floor. Choi tried to enter the fourth floor but found it blocked, and he was subdued by other shoppers as he came back down to the third floor.
In police questioning, he stated to the effect that he "had grievances against the hospital where he had been treated and resented being investigated by police after the hospital reported him," and that he "committed the crime to create news in order to make this known to society and draw attention." Choi has 10 prior convictions carrying fines or heavier penalties, including two previous counts of attempted murder.
Police sought a pretrial detention warrant for Choi, citing flight risk, and on the 16th of this month the Incheon District Court held a pre-detention hearing and issued the detention warrant, saying there was "a risk of flight." Police are continuing their investigation and, on the same day, convened a committee on the disclosure of personal information and released Choi's name, age and mug shot.