South Korean police have apprehended a man in his late 20s, suspected of stabbing a high school teacher at Songchon High School in the city of Daejeon on Friday. The incident follows a separate random attack on Thursday, where 14 people were wounded near a busy subway station in Seongnam.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency has not released the suspect’s personal details yet. According to authorities, the assailant waited for the teacher to leave a classroom before stabbing him and fleeing the scene, implying a possible acquaintance. Details about the teacher’s health condition have not been disclosed by the police and fire department authorities.
The attack in Daejeon occurred just hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol called for “ultra-strong” law enforcement measures to restore public safety faith following Thursday’s violent incident, which he described as a “terrorist attack on innocent citizens.”
During the attack in Seongnam, a car rammed onto a sidewalk before the driver got out and randomly stabbed people at a shopping mall connected to the Seohyeon subway station. Two people were in life-threatening condition from the car crash, and eight others were treated for serious injuries from the stabbings.
The police are currently questioning the 22-year-old suspect but haven’t revealed his identity or a potential motive for the attacks. The suspect mentioned being stalked by an unspecified source during police interviews.
While the suspect purchased the knives used in the stabbings from a shopping mall a day before the attacks, there is no clear evidence suggesting premeditation.
Thursday’s attack was the second mass-stabbing incident involving random targets in South Korea in a month. In response to this incident, President Yoon called for increased monitoring of social media to detect threats, deploying more law enforcement officers for prevention, and providing them with better suppression gear.
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As a result of the president’s comments, the National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun declared the commencement of an indefinite “special surveillance” period. During this time, police officers will intensify patrols and stop-and-search activities to guard against individuals suspected of carrying weapons or acting abnormally. Police officers will also be instructed to use firearms or taser guns to suppress suspects during violent crimes.
