Choi Won-jong, a 22-year-old suspect in the deadly car and knife attack on Aug. 3 in a department store in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, was transferred to the prosecution for further investigation and indictment, police said Thursday.

Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said it has referred Choi to the prosecution on charges of murder, attempted murder and making preparations to commit murder.

While leaving a police detention center to be taken to the prosecution Thursday morning, Choi told reporters he feels "really sorry for the victims" when asked about the motivation behind his attack.

"I hope the victims in the hospital get well soon, and I want to express my condolences to the victims who died, and I feel sorry for the bereaved victims' families," he added.

But Choi insisted that he was being sought after by stalkers, which the police speculate is associated with the delusion he was suffering from due to the schizoid personality disorder for which he had stopped receiving medical treatment three years ago.

"I have been stalked by a group of people for several years, and I was also being bullied on the day of the crime" Choi said.

"I committed a crime to make the existence of a group of stalkers known to the world by killing some people in that group who were trying to attack me."

Last Thursday, Choi rammed a car into pedestrians outside a department store, got out of the car, entered a department store and attacked the people there with a knife. One died in the incident, one more is in critical condition and 12 more were injured.

The police concluded Wednesday that Choi committed the crime with the intention of protecting himself.