"When and where will it explode..." Another Knife Rampage in the Heart of Seoul [Comprehensive Report 2]

[Financial News] Another knife rampage occurred in the heart of Seoul, resulting in the death of three people. The police believe there was a 'business conflict' as the motive for the crime, but with successive incidents, there is growing anxiety among citizens that violence could erupt anywhere at any time. Experts point out that it should be seen as a structural problem where accumulated anger throughout society is exploding, rather than a simple personal deviation.
According to the police and others on the 3rd, at around 10:57 a.m. on this day, a man in his 40s, Mr. A, stabbed two other men and one woman with a knife at a restaurant in Jowon-dong, Gwanak-gu. The police, who were dispatched after receiving a report that "four people were stabbed and collapsed," moved the three victims to a nearby hospital, but they eventually died. Mr. A, who attempted an extreme choice after the crime, is reported to be in serious condition and undergoing treatment.
The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident, believing that Mr. A committed the crime due to business conflicts. They plan to secure his custody after observing his treatment progress.
Residents nearby are trembling with anxiety due to the sudden stabbing incident. A resident of Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Mr. Han (34), said, "It's so scary to hear that such an incident happened in our neighborhood," and "I don't know how to respond as knife rampages seem to be happening frequently recently."
This is not the only time a stabbing incident has occurred in the city center. On July 25, near Gireum Station in Seongbuk-gu, a man in his 70s, Mr. B, wielded a knife, injuring two people. The police fired two taser shots to arrest Mr. A after a standoff. At that time, Mr. B was in a state with injuries suspected to be self-inflicted.
On April 24, at a high school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, a high school student, Mr. C (17), attacked four school staff and two passersby with a knife. It is known that Mr. C stated in a police investigation, "I prepared a knife to harm others because school life was hard."
Experts diagnose that the anger accumulated throughout society is being expressed as violent crimes such as stabbings. Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of the Department of Police Science at Konkuk University explained, "Although each crime motive may be different, the fundamental cause is unresolved social anger," and "rather than focusing on individual incidents, measures to manage social poverty and depression are needed."
Whenever a knife rampage occurs, 'strengthening punishment' is often mentioned as a regular measure. In the past, there were claims in the political world to introduce 'absolute life imprisonment' without parole to suppress violent crimes such as knife rampages. However, since the cause of typical stabbing incidents lies in uncontrolled anger, many opinions suggest that the effect of simply strengthening punishment will not be significant.
Professor Kim Sang-kyun of the Department of Police Science at Baekseok University emphasized, "It is difficult to suppress crimes that occur in a state where rational judgment has collapsed with punishment." He advised, "Considering the recent social climate, there is an impression that violent crimes occur somewhat easily, such as stabbings over small conflicts," and "it is necessary to examine whether people's ethical standards have lowered as they are frequently exposed to news of incidents and accidents."



jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter