Female Teacher Fatally Stabs Eight-Year-Old Student in South Korea 

South Korea has been shaken by a tragic incident in which an elementary school teacher fatally stabbed an eight-year-old student at an elementary school in Daejeon. The female teacher, who is in her 40s, confessed to the crime, police said. 

The attack occurred on Monday at around 18:00 local time (09:00 WAT), when the student was found with stab wounds on the second floor of the school building. She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries. The teacher was discovered beside her with what police believe to be self-inflicted wounds. 

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered a thorough investigation into the case, calling for authorities to “implement necessary measures to ensure such incidents never happen again.”

Outside the school, mourners have laid flowers and a stuffed doll at the gate.

At a police briefing on Tuesday, Yook Jong-myung, the head of Daejeon Western Police Station, confirmed that the teacher was receiving medical treatment for a stitched wound on her neck. 

The Daejeon education office revealed that the teacher had previously requested a six-month leave of absence on 9 December, citing depression. However, she returned to school after just 20 days, following a doctor’s assessment that deemed her fit for work. 

During her leave, she reportedly had suicidal thoughts. Days before the attack, she exhibited violent behaviour, including putting another teacher in a headlock. This prompted an investigation by education officials, who visited the school on Monday morning—the same day as the fatal stabbing. 

Following the altercation with her co-worker, the education office recommended that the teacher be placed on leave and kept physically separated from the victim of her aggression. She was made to sit beside the vice principal’s desk for close supervision. 

At the time of the attack, she was not teaching any classes and had no prior contact with the eight-year-old victim, officials said. 

According to her police testimony, the teacher had purchased a weapon on the day of the attack, intending to kill herself along with a child. 

She reportedly didn’t “care which child it was” and targeted the last student to leave. She lured the girl into the media room before carrying out the fatal stabbing. 

The student was reported missing on Monday evening after a bus driver informed the school that she had not arrived for pickup. 

While South Korea is generally considered a safe country with strict gun control laws, a series of high-profile stabbing incidents in recent years has raised concerns over violent crimes. 

Acting president Choi expressed his sorrow over the attack, stating, “It pains me to see such incidents because a school should be our safest space. I offer my deep condolences to the victim’s family who suffered great shock and agony.”

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack.

Follow us on: