Horrifying moment knifeman chases screaming shoppers across mall in deadly stabbing rampage after ramming his car into victims in South Korea: One killed and 13 injured as suspect arrested
- Attack took place near the Seohyeon subway station in Bundang, close to Seoul
- CCTV footage captured suspect stalking through busy mall holding a long blade
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, police said Thursday.
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.
The suspect ‘was arrested at the scene’, an official said, adding that the motive for the attack was not immediately clear.
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
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.
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.
It comes a fortnight after one person was killed and three wounded in another stabbing attack in the South Korean capital on July 21.
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?’