South Korea: Teacher fatally stabs eight-year-old in Daejeon

A shocking campus tragedy has occurred in South Korea. A teacher stabbed an eight-year-old female student to death at an elementary school in Daejeon, a city in central South Korea, sparking widespread national concern.

According to police, the female teacher, in her forties, has admitted to stabbing the student on the second floor of the school. The victim was found with stab wounds at 6 p.m. local time on Monday (9 a.m. GMT) and was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Police stated that the teacher was also at the scene with knife wounds, possibly self-inflicted.

South Korean Acting President Choe Sang-mok ordered an investigation into the case on Tuesday and urged relevant departments to "take necessary measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again." The school was closed on Tuesday, and some local residents placed flowers and stuffed animals at the school gate to express their condolences.

The Daejeon Education Office stated that the teacher had applied for six months of leave on December 9, citing depression, but returned to school only 20 days later after a doctor assessed her as fit to work. Authorities stated that the teacher had no connection to the victim.

Reportedly, in the days leading up to the attack, the teacher had exhibited violent behavior, including using a chokehold on another teacher. Two officials from the Education Office visited the school on the morning of the incident to investigate the conflict. It was also reported that the student was reported missing on Monday evening after the school bus driver notified the school that the student had not taken the bus that day.

Police stated that they will continue to interrogate the teacher after she recovers from surgery. Previously, after the incident of attacking a colleague, the Education Office had suggested that the teacher take leave and be physically separated from the other teacher. The teacher was subsequently assigned to sit at the vice-principal's desk for close monitoring. She had also not taught any classes since her leave in December and had no contact with the eight-year-old student. South Korea is generally a safe country with strict gun control laws, but in recent years, there have been some high-profile crime incidents, including stabbings.

Acting President Choe Sang-mok stated, "I am deeply saddened to see such an incident occur, as schools should be our safest places. I express my deepest condolences to the family of the victim who has suffered great shock and pain."