{"id":2201936,"date":"2023-08-08T17:57:25","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T08:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201936"},"modified":"2023-08-09T17:56:30","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T08:56:30","slug":"from-digital-threats-to-real-world-violence-the-thin-blurring-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/from-digital-threats-to-real-world-violence-the-thin-blurring-line\/","title":{"rendered":"From digital threats to real-world violence: The thin, blurring line"},"content":{"rendered":"
Despite South Korea\u2019s reputation as an exceptionally safe country, a recent spate of <\/span>violent incidents<\/span><\/a> has deeply unsettled Korean society, drawing attention to the influence of online communities in the country and their potential role in facilitating or inspiring these acts of violence.<\/span><\/p>\n A 33-year-old unemployed man brandished a knife and launched <\/span>unprovoked attacks<\/span><\/a> on unsuspecting bystanders near Sillim Subway Station in southwestern Seoul on July 21. The suspect had no known ties to any of his victims. Such random acts of violence, in which assailants seemingly select victims without any apparent motive, are referred to in Korea as \u201cdon’t ask murders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Less than two weeks later, a 22-year-old delivery worker intentionally drove his car into a populated bus stop in Bundang, just south of Seoul. Following the vehicular assault, the man ventured into a department store adjacent to the Seohyeon subway station, knife in hand and proceeded to <\/span>attack<\/span><\/a> shoppers. The incident left one person dead and injured 13 others.<\/span><\/p>\n The next day, a man was <\/span>apprehended<\/span><\/a> after entering a high school in Daejon and stabbing his former teacher, grievously injuring him.<\/span><\/p>\n GLOBAL PARALLELS<\/b><\/p>\n Random acts of violence are not unheard of in the ROK. In 1992, a man <\/span>plowed<\/span><\/a> his car into Yeouido Plaza near the National Assembly, claiming two lives and leaving 21 injured. In 2008, a man <\/span>ignited a blaze<\/span><\/a> in a one-room apartment building in Gangnam and attacked fleeing residents with a knife, resulting in six fatalities and seven others wounded. However, the frequency of the recent violent incidents stands out.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that the recent episodes show parallels with incidents abroad. The Seohyeon Station event mirrors the <\/span>2008 Akihabara attack<\/span><\/a>. That June, a 25-year-old man drove into a crosswalk in Tokyo\u2019s Akihabara neighborhood and attacked passersby with a knife, killing seven and injuring 10.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, the Sillim Station attack calls to mind an attack that took place in <\/span>Hong Kong<\/span><\/a> in June, when a 39-year-old man fatally stabbed two women in a Kowloon mall. <\/span>Reports<\/span><\/a> indicate that the Sillim Station assailant had researched the Hong Kong incident online. While it remains unclear if he also looked into the Akihabara attack, the striking similarities between the events make a connection conceivable.<\/span><\/p>\n Responding to these random acts of violence, the South Korean government took immediate and decisive action. President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged a robust response, <\/span>mobilizing<\/span><\/a> \u201call possible police forces\u201d in the nation. Additionally, National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun issued a <\/span>special security alert<\/span><\/a>, an unprecedented move.<\/span><\/p>\n This alert saw the deployment of 12,000 officers to monitor 247 high-traffic locations nationwide, from plazas to department stores. In some areas, the presence of armored vehicles further underscored the gravity of the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n