Eight Injured in Stabbing Attack at South Korea Supermarket

A violent stabbing incident at a supermarket in Incheon, South Korea, on Tuesday afternoon has left eight people injured and prompted a swift police investigation. The attack occurred at approximately 13:40 local time at a local outlet of Homeplus, one of the nation's prominent discount supermarket chains. According to the Incheon Namdong Police Station, the assailant utilized knives strapped to both of his hands to carry out the assault while navigating an escalator within the building.Witnesses at the scene intervened to stop the suspect, utilizing chairs to block his path before law enforcement officers arrived to take him into custody. Authorities confirmed that the suspect is a 59-year-old man. Following the confrontation, police recovered ten additional knives from the suspect's backpack. Emergency medical teams established an aid center on the first floor of the supermarket to treat the victims, who were subsequently transported to local hospitals.Of the eight victims, six are women and two are men. Reports indicate that the injuries were primarily concentrated on the back and shoulders of the victims, though one individual reportedly suffered from cardiac arrest during the event. Police have launched an investigation into the suspect’s motives, as the circumstances surrounding the attack remain under review.Background information revealed by local authorities suggests the suspect was wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet at the time of the incident. Furthermore, records show the individual had a prior conviction for attempted murder related to the stabbing of his ex-wife, for which he served four years in prison. Reports also indicate he had been flagged by police last month on suspicion of carrying a knife during a solitary protest outside a local hospital regarding his medical treatment.The incident is considered rare in South Korea, a country that maintains high public safety standards. Statistics Korea reported the homicide rate in 2024 at approximately 0.5 per 100,000 people, which is significantly lower than the global average. Despite this, the nation faced a series of concerning incidents in 2023 involving random, violent attacks on strangers—often referred to as 'Mudjima' or 'Don't Ask Why' crimes—which sparked widespread public anxiety across the country.These types of unprovoked attacks, characterized by a lack of clear motive or personal connection between the perpetrator and the victims, have previously occurred in retail environments. In April 2025, a similar incident occurred when a man in his thirties targeted random strangers at a supermarket, resulting in the death of a woman in her sixties. Such occurrences have prompted ongoing discussions regarding public security and the management of high-risk individuals in South Korea.As the investigation continues, authorities are working to piece together the events of Tuesday afternoon. The supermarket remains a focus of the inquiry as police analyze the suspect's history and the specific preparations made for the assault. The community in Incheon remains on edge following the violence, while the injured continue to receive medical care for the wounds sustained during the attack.