An injured person is transported to a hospital after a stabbing attack at a large commercial complex housing a Homeplus store in Incheon's Guwol-dong on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
An injured person is transported to a hospital after a stabbing attack at a large commercial complex housing a Homeplus store in Incheon's Guwol-dong on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

In the wake of a random knife attack at a commercial complex in Incheon's Gwol-dong, South Koreans have begun sharing so-called "survival tips" online for defending against blade attacks.

On Tuesday, a post titled "How to protect yourself from the Incheon stabbing" circulated on SNS.

The author wrote that if a knife attack breaks out, one should "wrap your arms around your neck and knock the attacker down with a body charge," and included photos demonstrating the stance.

The post also advised readers to "protect your neck by covering it with your arms to avoid being cut, and wear your bag in front to shield your stomach and solar plexus from fatal wounds."

Commenters responded with remarks such as "I wish there were self-defense products to protect the neck" and "What should you do if you don't have a bag?" Some also shared information on personal safety items.

Others expressed a more somber reaction, writing, "It's bitter that we now have to know things like this."

The attack occurred Tuesday at around 1:40 p.m. at a commercial complex in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, when a 59-year-old man identified only by his surname initial A attacked bystanders with bladed weapons strapped to both hands. According to the Incheon Fire Department, eight people were injured and taken to hospital.

Among them, a woman in her 20s underwent surgery after going into cardiac arrest. A had a prior conviction for attempted murder and was wearing an electronic ankle monitor at the time of the attack.

Bystanders at the scene subdued A using chairs. When A reached the fourth floor of the building, which houses a movie theater, a 23-year-old office worker surnamed Shin grabbed a nearby chair and threw it at him. After A fell, other bystanders pinned him down with chairs until police arrived and took him into custody.

This is not the first time fear of random knife attacks has gripped the public. In July 2023, a man in his 30s attacked pedestrians with a knife near Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, killing one and injuring three. The following month, a man in his 20s drove a vehicle into a crowd and then went on a stabbing rampage at a department store near Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, killing two and injuring 12.


min3654@heraldcorp.com