Two people were killed and one person was injured in the southern city of Jinju on Tuesday after a 55-year-old man with a suspected mental disorder randomly stabbed them, police said.
The man, identified only by his surname Jeon, stabbed three men with an object at 6:30 a.m., police said, without identifying the weapon.
The incident happened at an office that serves as a liaison between manual laborers and construction companies in Jinju, some 434 kilometers south of Seoul.
One man in his late 50s and another in his early 60s died at the scene, while another man in his mid-50s was rushed to a hospital for a shoulder injury, authorities said, adding that the suspect was apprehended almost immediately.
Jeon knew the victims but was not close to them, police said, adding that he rambled on about nonsense, saying things like “I will kidnap all the Korean women,” and “We’re part of a Chinese gang,” as he was being interrogated.
Jeon also did not seem to be drunk or under the influence of drugs, authorities said. They are investigating whether he is mentally ill.
The surviving victim was attacked outside the office, while the two who died, one of whom was Korean-Chinese, were stabbed on the back, neck and chest inside the office, witnesses were quoted as saying.
Police are also interested in whether the attack had been premeditated because Jeon told them he stole the weapon from a traditional market a day earlier. But Jeon did not appear to hold any grudge against the victims, they said.
Jeon divorced his wife two years ago and moved to Jinju from Suwon, a city south of Seoul, about a year ago, police said, adding they are looking to see whether these facts have anything to do with the attack. (Yonhap)
