Man arrested for stabbing four in South Korea

South Korean police said on Monday a man was arrested after stabbing four people, leaving two dead.

Around 9:30am on Monday, the suspect stabbed a convenience store owner, a woman in her sixties, and fled the scene in Gyeonggi Province, west of Seoul.

After police responded to that stabbing, they went to the home of the car owner linked to the suspect's vehicle.

They discovered a body there which "is believed to be that of the car owner", a Siheung Police Station official told AFP, adding that the body appeared to have been left for several days.

About two hours later, the suspect stabbed another man in his seventies, before again fleeing the scene.
Shortly after that, police discovered another body inside the suspect's house, close to the convenience store.

The injured victims were receiving treatment at a hospital and were recovering, a police official said.
The suspect remained at large before police apprehended him hours after.

The Siheung police station confirmed to AFP they had arrested the suspect, and the suspect has "confessed to all charges."

"We are currently transferring him to the Siheung Police Station for further questioning into his motives and the details of the incident."

Local residents received a warning message Monday afternoon from Siheung city hall saying: "A stabbing incident occurred today in the Jeongwang-dong area." It added that police were "currently searching the scene." "Citizens are advised to avoid going out and prioritise their safety."

The city later sent out another warning message that the suspect was "in his mid-50s with a balding head, wearing a dark-coloured jumper and pants, and a light blue top," adding that if he was seen, it should be reported immediately.

The case comes months after a teacher fatally stabbed an eight-year-old student at an elementary school in South Korea, and most recently, a student stabbing four at a school.

However, South Korea is generally a very safe country, with a murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to official statistics, well below the global average of six per 100,000.

Agence France-Presse