A man went on a ‘stabbing rampage’ near a South Korean subway station, killing one and injuring at least 13 people after running down three people with a car, according to South Korean media.
The attack took place near the Seohyeon subway station in Seongnam, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Seoul, an official at the National Police Agency said.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the suspect stalking through the busy department store connected to the station, wearing a dark jacket and brandishing a long blade, before lunging at bystanders.
Unverified images of Thursday’s attack showed the shop floor stained with blood drops and at least one emergency medical helicopter arriving to the scene.
Other clips showed how some citizens were desperately trying to stop the bleeding of victims lying on the floor following the violent spree.
Police said Thursday’s assailant was arrested after apparently targeting people at random.
Media reports described him as a man in his 20s with a delivery job and suffering from some mental health issues.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the suspect stalking through the busy department store connected to the station, wearing a dark jacket and brandishing a long blade, before lunging at bystanders.
Unverified images of Thursday’s attack showed what appeared to be a floor stained with blood drops and at least one emergency medical helicopter
Policemen cordon off a scene where, according to media reports, nine people have been stabbed and four others hurt by a car driven by the suspected attacker in Seongnam, South Korea, August 3, 2023
Earlier footage showed a man with short dark hair and glasses holding what looked to be a blade stepping onto an escalator. But in security camera footage, the perpetrator appeared to be wearing a hood.
It is thought the suspect, who was arrested at the scene according to officials, may have procured the hooded top in the department store prior to the attack.
Police said a motive for the stabbings was not immediately clear, and investigators said the suspect made ‘incomprehensible statements’ after he was detained.
At least eight of the stabbing victims are in critical condition, Yonhap reported.
In response to the attack, the National Police Agency said it would hold an online meeting with regional police chiefs to discuss ways to deal with stabbings and other attacks against random targets.
Police Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun warned South Koreans to be on guard for such attacks and urged officials to be vigilant and look out for copycat crimes.
It comes a fortnight after one person was killed and three wounded in another stabbing incident in the South Korean capital on July 21.
Police control access to the scene of a stabbing rampage at a department store adjacent to Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, South Korea, 03 August 2023
The attack took place near the Seohyeon subway station in Seongnam, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Seoul
The suspect ‘was arrested at the scene’, an official said, adding that the motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
Rescue workers are seen at a scene where, according to media reports, nine people have been stabbed and four others hurt by a car driven by the suspected attacker in Seongnam, South Korea, August 3, 2023
South Korea is typically an extremely safe country, with a murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to official statistics.
By comparison, the United States has 7.8 homicide deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bundang, an affluent satellite city of Seoul, generally has a reputation for safe streets and residential neighbourhoods but the two stabbings triggered concern online.
‘The attack (near the) Seohyeon station is really terrifying,’ one wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X.
‘How can we feel safe and comfortable going outside with incidents like this happening?’