Man with ankle monitor stabs eight people at Incheon supermarket

A 59-year-old man stabbed eight people on Tuesday afternoon at a shopping complex in Incheon, west of Seoul. Police said the attack began around 1:40 p.m. local time at a Homeplus supermarket on the second basement level of the C&C complex building in Guwol-dong. The suspect moved on an escalator between floors while carrying knives fastened to both hands. Bystanders used chairs to block his path and subdued him before police arrived and took him into custody. All eight victims, six women and two men, were taken to hospitals. One woman in her twenties went into cardiac arrest and underwent surgery.

The suspect was wearing an electronic ankle monitor at the time of the attack. He had been ordered to wear the device for ten years, until February 2029, after serving a four-year prison term in 2019 for attempting to murder his former wife. Police said he was carrying a large quantity of drugs and told officers he had taken drugs before the attack. He had also been booked last month on suspicion of carrying a knife during a one-man protest outside an Incheon hospital. The Justice Ministry apologized publicly and said it would reexamine the electronic monitoring and supervision system for high-risk offenders. Officials noted that the man had met his probation officer and attended a counseling session hours before the attack, with no reported warning signs or attempts to tamper with the device.

South Korea has experienced a series of stabbing incidents in recent years, including multiple deaths in 2023 and a fatal attack on a teenager in Gwangju in May. Knife crime remains relatively rare compared with other forms of violence, but high-profile cases have prompted reviews of monitoring programs for previously convicted offenders. The Incheon attack occurred in a busy commercial building that also houses a CGV cinema and a food court. An emergency medical center was set up on the first floor. Police from Namdong Station are investigating the motive. The suspect faces charges including attempted murder.

The Justice Ministry's apology focused on the management of ankle monitors rather than any specific failure in this case. Electronic monitoring covers people convicted of serious crimes including murder and is intended as a crime-prevention tool. The fact that the attack occurred while the man was under active supervision has drawn attention to the limits of the current system. Shoppers who intervened described using furniture to slow the attacker until officers arrived. No other casualties were reported beyond the eight injured. Hospital updates on the woman in cardiac arrest were not immediately available.

Local authorities have not released the names of the victims or the suspect. The incident occurred in broad daylight in a densely used retail space near Incheon's main airport. The combination of a prior violent conviction, active monitoring, and alleged drug use has placed the case at the center of discussions about recidivism and supervision of released offenders. The Justice Ministry said it would introduce necessary improvements and supplementary measures after its review. Police continue questioning the suspect in custody.