A fruit vendor in Seoul has been lauded as a hero for intervening to stop a knife-wielding man in the Suyu-dong area.
The incident occurred on 8 March.
Quick escalation
The assailant, in his 50s, attempted arson and injured a bystander with a knife at 12:25 pm.
Shopkeeper Jo Yu Chan witnessed the attack, lured the assailant away from the public, and subdued him with a flying kick, as captured by CCTV.
“My daughter and my wife were here (near the scene) so I tried to lure him away, telling him to follow me if he wanted to kill me. So he did.” — Jo Yu Chan, MBN
The police arrived at the scene and apprehended the attacker around 1:25 pm. They found him carrying a total of three weapons. He is currently being investigated for special bodily injury on another, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The police have applied for an arrest warrant for the suspect and are also investigating if the crime happened under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Concerns reignited
The incident spotlights the rising issue of knife crime in South Korea, underlining the unpredictability of such attacks.
