April 25, 2025
SEOUL – A fatal stabbing inside a neighborhood grocery store in northern Seoul has intensified public fears over violent crime, as Koreans grapple with the unnerving reality that even the most familiar places are not immune to danger.
On Tuesday evening, a man in his 30s is alleged to have fatally stabbed a woman in her 60s while she was shopping inside a supermarket in Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu. A store employee in her 40s was also injured. Neither victim had any prior connection to the assailant, police said, further fueling anxiety over random attacks.
According to authorities, the attacker entered the store wearing hospital clothing after walking out of a nearby orthopedic clinic. He consumed nearly half a bottle of soju on the spot, then removed a kitchen knife from its packaging on the store shelf and attacked two women without warning. Afterward, he calmly exited the store, called police himself and reportedly told officers to wait so he could smoke a cigarette before being taken into custody.
“This isn’t the Korea I know,” said one resident near the scene. “You go out to buy groceries and end up being stabbed to death by a complete stranger. It’s terrifying.” Another local, who had shopped at the same store for over three years, said the randomness and location of the crime made it all the more shocking.
Surveillance footage from the scene showed panicked shoppers fleeing the area, while others stood frozen in horror as the victim lay bleeding on the sidewalk. Witnesses described the overwhelming stench of blood and a sense of helplessness.
The suspect, who showed little sign of remorse, has been formally arrested. Police said his charges were upgraded from attempted murder to murder following the death of the 60-year-old victim. A court hearing for his arrest warrant took place Thursday morning, with the results expected to be out later in the day.
This incident follows a series of similarly unprovoked attacks in residential areas in recent months, including an apartment arson case in southern Seoul. With public spaces like apartment complexes, subways and now grocery stores becoming backdrops for violence, many in South Korea are expressing fear in a country reputed for its safety.
“What’s so frightening,” said a resident, “is that there were no signs, no motive. It could have been anyone.”
The government has yet to announce policy responses to what appears to be a wave of unpredictable, violent crimes.