Prosecution indicts suspect in deadly stabbing rampage in Seoul
Cho Seon, 33, the suspect in the fatal stabbing rampage near Sillim Station in Seoul, leaves the Seoul Gwanak Police Station, July 28. Yonhap
The prosecution on Friday indicted the suspect in last month's deadly stabbing rampage near a subway station in Seoul.
Cho Seon, 33, has been arrested for killing one man and wounding three others with a knife on July 21.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office charged him with multiple counts that include murder, attempted murder, theft, fraud and insult.
The investigation revealed that he fatally stabbed the 22-year-old victim 18 times on a street close to Sillim Station in southwestern Seoul and then attacked three other men in their 30s.
The prosecution deemed the crime as premeditated. In an attempt to erase evidence, he wiped his mobile phone and destroyed his computer just prior to the crime. He also chose to steal two knives instead of purchasing them to avoid arousing suspicion.
Psychological analysis indicated that he was grappling with feelings of dissatisfaction and despair, stemming from the breakdown of family relationships, social maladjustment, heartbreak and economic struggles.
His addiction to video games and sense of inferiority toward his peers also played a significant role in motivating his crimes, according to the prosecution.
On the morning of the crime, he watched a video of a first-person shooter game, and the prosecution has drawn parallels between his movements during the incident and those displayed by in-game characters.
Cho has also been accused of fare evasion. He allegedly took taxis without payment to travel from Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, to Sillim Station.
Additionally, the prosecution applied insult charges, based on derogatory comments he made online on Dec. 27, in referring to a game YouTuber as "gay-like." (Yonhap)