What happened in Incheon

On Tuesday, 13 October, a man attacked people with knives in a shopping complex in Incheon, a port city on the northwest coast of the Korean Peninsula. Police and fire officials said at least eight people were injured, while Reuters reported up to eight, citing media reports. A witness quoted by Yonhap said the suspect had knives strapped to both hands, began stabbing people at a discount store on the basement level and kept attacking as he moved up an escalator. Newsis reported that more than ten knives were found in his bag. Bystanders, shop staff and customers used chairs, trays and display stands to subdue him before police arrived and detained him. The attack began at about 13:40 local time, according to the Incheon Namdong Police Station.

The victims

Adnkronos first reported one person in cardiac arrest and about seven others injured, citing a spokesperson for a central emergency and safety headquarters. Incheon's fire department said a woman in her 20s was in cardiac arrest on arrival at hospital and underwent surgery. BBC reported that all eight victims, six women and two men, were taken to hospital, with others suffering injuries to the back and shoulders. Authorities set up an emergency medical centre on the first floor of the building. The severity of the other injuries was not immediately clear.

The suspect's record

Incheon Namdong Police Station detained a 59-year-old suspect, and officials told AFP that he had already served four years in prison for attempted murder. He stabbed his ex-wife several times in 2015 after she refused to reconcile with him, according to those officials. After his release he was required to wear an electronic ankle monitor for 10 years and could not leave his home between midnight and 6:00. The Ministry of Justice said he had been receiving treatment for alcohol dependence and psychological problems, and that he had recently been arrested for weapons possession. Yonhap, citing police, reported that a large quantity of drugs was found when he was arrested. On the day of the attack he met his addiction counselor and had lunch with his probation officer. It was not immediately clear why he carried out the attacks.

Justice ministry response

The Ministry of Justice apologized to the public for the attack carried out while the man was under electronic monitoring. It said it had watched him through the ankle bracelet and recorded no attempts to damage the device, according to Deutsche Welle. The ministry pledged to review both how this suspect was supervised and the general procedures for electronic monitoring.

Violence in South Korea

South Korea is generally considered a safe country, with a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 residents in 2021 according to official statistics. BBC reported a rate of 1.6 per 100,000 in 2024, half the average of other developed nations. Even so, a series of seemingly random attacks in 2023 caused widespread fear, and BBC said such acts were known as 'Mudjima' or 'Don't Ask Why' crimes. In April 2025, a man in his thirties attacked strangers at a supermarket, resulting in the death of a woman in her sixties. Stern also listed a May 2025 attack in which a man attacked three police officers with a knife, and a September 2025 attack in a Seoul pizzeria in which three people were stabbed to death.

What remains open

Police are investigating the motive, and Europa Press reported that the suspect is being questioned. AP described the attack as taking place in a shopping mall, while BBC said it happened at a local Homeplus outlet. The severity of several injuries had not been given in the reports. Police have not yet said what motivated the attack.