"My Friend Who Dreamed of Becoming an EMT"... Gwangju High School Students Call for Severe Punishment for Murderer

[The Financial News] High school students of the same age as the teenage girl who was killed by a knife attack in Gwangju downtown by a man in his 20s, whom she had never met, have begun issuing statements one after another, calling for severe punishment of the suspect and measures to prevent a repeat. The students appealed for social solidarity, saying their friend's death should not be dismissed as a mere accident.
Starting on the 8th, three days after the incident, statements filled with grief and anger began pouring out from high schools in the Gwangju area. The editorial team of 'Maehyang,' a school publication at Gwangju Gyeongsin Girls' High School, where the victim's friends are active, said on social networking service (SNS), "The victim was a warm friend who dreamed of becoming an EMT and a nurse to save other people's lives," adding, "That precious dream came to a futile end."
The students directly rejected the possibility of an 'impulsive crime' claimed by the suspect, Jang, 24. The student councils of Sungil High School and Seolwol Girls' High School stressed, "The fact that he prepared a weapon in advance, searched for a target, and fled in a calculated manner right after the crime clearly shows this was a planned offense," and added, "The judiciary of South Korea must answer for the weight of taking another person's life with the harshest sentence allowed by law."
The students also expressed deep concern over the way the case is being consumed online through regional slurs. The student council of Jeonnam Girls' High School said, "We are frightened by the reality of hate speech targeting regions," and noted, "This tragedy is not a problem of one region alone, but something our entire society must share in grief and sorrow together."
This movement is spreading beyond Gwangju and across the country. The newspaper club at Sokcho Girls' High School in Gangwon State said, "Many students were shocked that an ordinary student's life was cut short by a brutal crime," and called on the relevant authorities to take a responsible stance so that such a tragedy will never happen again.
The suspect Jang's brazen attitude and past conduct have played a major role in intensifying students' anger. Despite the National Police Agency's decision to disclose his identity, Jang refused to consent, delaying the official release. In addition, criticism has grown that this was a 'structural misogynistic crime' after it emerged that he had previously been reported to police for stalking and assaulting a co-worker two days before the incident.
The father of the victim, who has completed funeral rites, reportedly visited the scene holding his daughter's portrait and wept, saying, "The suspect must be severely punished so that something like this never happens again."
Police plan to disclose Jang's identity on the 14th and are currently focusing on determining the exact motive through a Psychopathy Checklist and Digital Forensics.
Meanwhile, a second-year male high school student identified as B, who was seriously injured while trying to help the victim, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.







moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter