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14-08-2023, 08:38 AM
Published 1 day ago
By Frances Mao
BBC News
On 21 July, a man attacked commuters in the capital, killing one person and stabbing three more at a subway station. He later told police he lived a miserable life and "wanted to make others miserable too".
Then, on 3 August, 14 people were injured in Seongnam, south-east of Seoul, when a man rammed his car into pedestrians near a subway stop, and then ran into a department store, where he stabbed nine people. One woman died later from her injuries.
......
In South Korea, they are known as "Don't Ask Why" or Mudjima crimes - inexplicable acts of violence targeting strangers, driven by no personal link to victims or obvious motive.
While they've been called Mudjima by the public for years, it was only in 2022 that South Korean police officially designated such crimes as a distinct category: "Abnormal Motive Crimes".
......
In the first half of this year, police recorded 18 Mudjima acts.
While overall data shows no rise in violent crime - South Korea last year in fact recorded its lowest rates in a decade - the recent stabbings have driven the perception that Mudjima acts are more common, and society more dangerous.
It has even led to some commentators making comparisons with the US, with online remarks: "It's the American mentality that's going viral in South Korea" and "OMG South Korea has become the USA of Asia".
......
Experts have pointed to underlying social pressures in South Korean society - from unstable job prospects and housing, to a continued stigma around mental health and a lack of support services.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66438202
By Frances Mao
BBC News
On 21 July, a man attacked commuters in the capital, killing one person and stabbing three more at a subway station. He later told police he lived a miserable life and "wanted to make others miserable too".
Then, on 3 August, 14 people were injured in Seongnam, south-east of Seoul, when a man rammed his car into pedestrians near a subway stop, and then ran into a department store, where he stabbed nine people. One woman died later from her injuries.
......
In South Korea, they are known as "Don't Ask Why" or Mudjima crimes - inexplicable acts of violence targeting strangers, driven by no personal link to victims or obvious motive.
While they've been called Mudjima by the public for years, it was only in 2022 that South Korean police officially designated such crimes as a distinct category: "Abnormal Motive Crimes".
......
In the first half of this year, police recorded 18 Mudjima acts.
While overall data shows no rise in violent crime - South Korea last year in fact recorded its lowest rates in a decade - the recent stabbings have driven the perception that Mudjima acts are more common, and society more dangerous.
It has even led to some commentators making comparisons with the US, with online remarks: "It's the American mentality that's going viral in South Korea" and "OMG South Korea has become the USA of Asia".
......
Experts have pointed to underlying social pressures in South Korean society - from unstable job prospects and housing, to a continued stigma around mental health and a lack of support services.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66438202
