A string of three stabbing attacks in South Korea has sparked fear in a country that has long considered safe with a low murder rate and strict firearm curbs.
In the latest incident on Friday (Aug 4), a man arrested after stabbing a teacher at a high school in the central city of Daejeon.
This came a day after a man rammed his car into passers-by, then got out and stabbed multiple people in a shopping mall in Seongnam. He has arrested on site.
Fourteen people injured, including two in critical condition. The mall connected to the nearby Seohyeon Station and draws many commuters and shoppers.
In Seoul last month, a rare stabbing attack killed one person and wounded three others.
According to Yonhap, the suspect in Thursday’s stabbing rampage is a 22-year-old man surnamed Choi who has mental health issues.
Investigators said he had dropped out of high school due to social phobia and later diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. He spoke incoherently during the initial questioning and claimed that “a certain group of people is stalking and trying to kill (him)”, said the police.
Another resident in the area, Choi Jun-ho, 26, said he was staying extra vigilant on his way to work on Friday morning, near the mall where the stabbing took place.