Man Kills Six, Injures Seven in Stabbing Spree

A 30-something jobless man who complained that the world ignored him yesterday stabbed to death six people and seriously injured seven.

A police spokesman said the suspect “Jeong” set a fire to a gosiwon (low-cost lodging house) building in southern Seoul and stabbed residents trying to escape.

This year, nine people have been killed in four instances of random murders in Korea.

Jeong in the morning allegedly poured gas on his desk and set fire to his room on the third floor of the building.

The third floor was engulfed with smoke in just five minutes, and Jeong stabbed residents who tried to escape from the building. Afterwards, he went up to the fourth floor and stabbed other residents.

Three residents were killed instantly and another three were taken to the hospital but died. One victim was taken to the hospital after falling out of the window on the fourth floor, but later died.

The seven injured residents were taken to nearby hospitals.

Jeong was arrested while hiding in a storeroom on the fourth floor. “Jeong had two more fruit knives besides the knife he used in the stabbings and a gas gun,” a police officer said. “He bought the gas gun in 2004 and the fruit knives in 2005 but did not use them today.”

The suspect said, “I attempted suicide in junior high school. Since then, I’ve had a headache every month. I’ve been ignored by the world so I no longer want to live.”

Police questioned him on his motives for the crime and will request an arrest warrant for him soon.

alwaysj@donga.com