A man in his 40s who threatened passersby with a knife near a Han River park in Seoul on the last day of the Chuseok holiday has been detained.
Kim Ji-hyun, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Southern District Court, held a pre-detention hearing on the 29th for Cheon, who faces charges of carrying a bladed weapon in a public place, and issued a detention warrant, citing a risk of flight.
Cheon is accused of brandishing a knife to threaten passersby near Yanghwa Han River Park in Yeongdeungpo District at around 3:45 p.m. on the 27th. When Cheon shouted while holding the knife on the street, passersby took shelter in a nearby cafe. Cheon tried to enter the cafe with the knife but was unable to because those inside locked the door. No one was injured. The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station requested a detention warrant for Cheon the previous day.
Cheon, who appeared at the court wearing a black cap, responded to reporters' questions about why he had threatened passersby and whether he had a reason for going into the cafe by saying, "I haven't done anything wrong."
Under the Criminal Act, carrying a bladed weapon in a public place — possessing and displaying such a weapon without justifiable reason in a public place such as a road or park that unspecified or large numbers of people use or pass through, thereby causing anxiety or fear among the public — is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.
