South Korea Stabbings

An attack just south of Seoul, South Korea, yesterday left at least 14 people injured after a man rammed a car into pedestrians before launching a stabbing spree. The attack occurred Thursday at 5:55 pm local time in the city of Seongnam near a subway station and a large department store.

The suspect, a 23-year-old man, acted alone during the rampage and was arrested at the scene; the police did not provide a motive. Authorities described the attack as "virtually an act of terrorism," as the attack appeared to be done at random. Five individuals were hit by the vehicle, and nine others were stabbed; two were in serious condition as of this writing.

The attack is the second mass stabbing in the country this summer, following an attack in the South Korean capital of Seoul in July that killed one person and left three wounded. The country has a relatively low homicide and attempted homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people. For comparison, the US homicide rate is 7.8 per 100,000.