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Police apprehend knife-wielding man on first day of amended weapons legislation

Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 13:34 Updated: 10 Apr. 2025, 18:38

A 58-year-old man carrying a fillet knife on April 8, left, and police officers apprehending the same man [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

On the first day of Korea’s new law criminalizing the possession of dangerous weapons in public, a man was arrested in eastern Seoul for allegedly pulling out a kitchen knife on a pedestrian walkway.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday that a 58-year-old foreign national was taken into custody on Tuesday at approximately 5:40 p.m. for allegedly wielding a knife at pedestrians on a riverside path along Cheonggye Stream in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul.

The man is under investigation for violating the recently amended criminal code, which introduced the offense of carrying weapons in public spaces.

According to police, a report was filed stating that “a man standing near the stream suddenly brandished a knife toward passersby.” Officers from a mobile patrol unit in the area responded swiftly to the scene, reviewing surveillance footage from nearby shops and gathering witness statements.

The suspect was apprehended after a search operation conducted jointly with local police. Authorities also confiscated the bladed weapon, identified as a fillet knife.

The new provision, which took effect on Tuesday, prohibits individuals from carrying weapons capable of endangering life or causing bodily harm in public spaces such as roads and parks without a justifiable reason. Displaying such weapons in a way that induces fear or anxiety can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won ($6,860).

The amendment follows a string of fatal knife attacks in 2023 near Sillim Station in southern Seoul and Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. In response to public outcry over the incidents, lawmakers passed the revised legislation on March 20.

“Our officers were able to respond quickly because they were well-versed in the details of the newly enforced law,” a police official said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG [[email protected]]