South Korea faces 3 attacks on strangers per day, with 925 assaults reported in 1st half of 2023

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – South Korea has been witnessing more than three random attacks on strangers per day, with 925 cases of assault, bodily harm, or murder recorded during the first half of the current year, police data revealed on Monday.

This alarming statistic comes after a string of stabbings against “unfamiliar individuals” that deeply shocked the nation, Seoul-based Yonhap news reported.

There were 925 cases of murder, bodily harm, or assault in the first six months of 2023, all of which were driven either by societal hostility or direct anger at a third party.

The police report aimed to suggest measures to prevent crimes with unconventional motives.

Out of these cases, 554 were categorized as assaults. This translates to an average of approximately 3.06 unprovoked assaults on strangers per day.

The report was submitted to the ruling People Power Party representative Chung Woo-taik.

Among the total cases, 18 were officially classified as serious crimes with abnormal motives, commonly referred to as "mudjima" crimes in Korea.

Fourteen of these cases involved charges related to causing bodily harm, three were connected to murder or attempted murder, and one case involved an assault that resulted in death.

Half of these "mudjima" cases, also known as "don't ask why" cases, were committed while the perpetrators were inebriated and unable to control their anger.

In addition, five cases were suspected to be influenced by mental illness or drug use, while three cases were driven by specific factors such as feelings of inferiority.