February 12, 2025
SEOUL – Police investigating a tragic case of a teacher fatally stabbing an 8-year-old girl at an elementary school in Daejeon said Tuesday the teacher’s attack had been planned but was not targeted, releasing her confession that she randomly chose the last student leaving the school.
According to police, the attack occurred Monday inside a storage room connected to the audiovisual room on the second floor of the school. The victim, identified as Kim Ha-neul, was found with multiple stab wounds to her face and shoulders.
The suspect, a female teacher in her 40s, was also found with self-inflicted injuries to her neck and hands. Emergency responders transported both to a nearby hospital, but the child succumbed to excessive blood loss, while the teacher survived and is receiving treatment.
Daejeon police relayed the suspect as saying that she has been receiving treatment for depression since 2018 and that she had been “annoyed” after returning to school following a leave, because the vice principal had refused to allow her to teach. The teacher had filed for a six-month leave of absence on Dec. 9, 2024 and returned to work after 22 days on Dec. 31.
On the day in question, the suspect said she had purchased a knife at a nearby market.
“I didn’t care who. To die together, (I chose) the last student to leave the after-school program. I told (the student) that I had a book to give her and lured the student into the audiovisual room. Then I choked and stabbed (her).”
The suspect is reported to have unlocked the audiovisual room, which is usually kept closed, and waited for the last student to leave the classroom next door.
The child’s parents became alarmed around 4:50 p.m. Monday when their daughter did not show up to meet a bus driver from her private academy as scheduled. The first grader had been enrolled in the school’s after-school program. The after-school teacher initially told the driver that the student had already left the classroom. When the student failed to appear after 10 minutes, the driver contacted the teacher, prompting authorities to realize that the child was missing.
The tragic incident spread shock waves across South Korea, raising urgent questions about school safety, teacher mental health monitoring and the education system’s ability to prevent such acts of violence.
The tragedy also sparked criticism over the security and supervision of the government’s after-school program.
Under the protocol, after-school teachers are required to personally take students to their parents or designated guardians. However, as the attack occurred while the child was still on school grounds, questions are being raised about whether school staff failed to follow procedures. A Daejeon education office official stated that after-school dismissal procedures vary by school, depending on institutional conditions.
Authorities revealed that the teacher had a history of mental health struggles and had previously taken medical leave for depression. She initially filed for a six-month leave of absence on Dec. 9, 2024, but returned to work after just 22 days on Dec. 31. Concerns are mounting over whether her early reinstatement was adequately assessed before allowing her back at the school.
Four days before the attack, the suspect reportedly twisted a colleague’s arm in an aggressive outburst. On the same day, she also complained about slow internet service and damaged a computer. The school administration reported the incident to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, urging authorities to intervene. Two education office officials visited the school Monday morning to address her behavior, but no immediate action was taken.
The case has intensified criticism of the education office’s failure to prevent the stabbing having better addressed the teacher’s mental health issues beforehand. While South Korea has policies allowing education offices to recommend leave for teachers unable to perform their duties due to mental or physical illness, the review committee responsible for such decisions has not convened since 2021. Many argue that better oversight and prior intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
The incident has also reignited discussions on the urgent need for enhanced mental health support for educators. Teachers often face extreme stress and burnout, exacerbating existing vulnerable psychological conditions. Experts have called for stricter policies to check on teachers returning from medical leave, including mandatory psychiatric evaluations before reinstatement.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok expressed condolences to the victim’s family and directed the Ministry of Education to conduct a thorough investigation. “Schools must be the safest place for children. This heartbreaking tragedy must never happen again,” Choi said.
Meanwhile, police have launched an in-depth investigation into the motive behind the attack. An arrest warrant is expected to be issued once the teacher is discharged from the hospital.
The victim’s grieving parents have demanded accountability, questioning why a teacher with a history of mental illness and who showed violent behavior had been allowed back into a school environment.
“How can someone with a history of mental illness be put in charge of children? The school and education office must take full responsibility for this tragedy,” the victim’s father said in a statement.
Parents across Korea have expressed fear and outrage, saying their trust in school safety has been shattered.
“This is horrifying. It’s terrifying to think that school — a place that should be a sanctuary— was where this happened. The fact that a teacher, whom we entrust to care for our children, is the one responsible is just unthinkable,” said the mother of an 11-year-old student in an interview with The Korea Herald.