Machete-wielding man says he was just wearing Halloween costume

Police officers stationed a Seohyeon subway station in Bundang, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 4, the day after 22 year-old Choi Won-jong tried to attack random people with a knife. [YONHAP]

A 38-year-old man, who was carrying a machete near Seohyeon subway station in Bundang, Gyeonggi, was arrested on Sunday and said he was just wearing a Halloween costume.

According to the police on Monday, the intoxicated man dropped a 28-centimeter long machete while drinking at a bar near the subway station around 8:20 p.m.

While the man left the bar after picking it up, he was arrested 30 minutes later after the bar owner called the police.

The police said that when he was arrested the man said he was carrying the machete as a Halloween costume.

The police confiscated the weapon and released him.

Sunday marked the first year since 159 people died on Halloween weekend after being crushed in a narrow alleyway in Itaewon.

Seohyeon subway station is also the location where 14 people were injured and two people died from a knife attack perpetrated by the 22 year-old Choi Won-jong on Aug. 3.

The two fatalities were caused from injuries suffered when Choi drove his car on the pavement before entering the AK Plaza mall connected to the subway station.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]