A former first officer of a civilian airline has been arrested for the murder of a captain, where he reportedly confessed to the police that he had been planning the crime for three years and intended to kill four people in total. The 50-year-old suspect, whose identity is withheld, stated that he felt unjustified grievances over his career, stemming from perceived inequities at the Air Force Academy, which he alleges ruined his life. He graduated from the academy but was not selected as a pilot, subsequently becoming a civilian pilot after military service.

On the morning of November 17, before his apprehension, the suspect is alleged to have fatally stabbed his former colleague, 56-year-old Captain O, in Busan during a confrontation. Additionally, he attempted to strangle another coworker, referred to as D, in Goyang shortly before the murder of Captain O, but failed and fled the location. Following the murder, he attempted to travel to Changsung to kill another colleague but changed plans to evade law enforcement, ultimately leading to his arrest in Ulsan where police recovered the weapon used in the incident.

There are indications that the suspect had been experiencing conflicts at work related to his impending retirement due to health issues, which may have contributed to his violent actions. Police are investigating the motivations behind the crimes, with a strong focus on workplace conflicts and any underlying mental health issues, with plans to involve criminal profilers for a possible psychopathy assessment. Authorities are also reviewing how the suspect obtained the victims' addresses and evaluating the circumstances surrounding the internal disputes at the workplace as they build a comprehensive investigative approach.