Grief over the death of a high school student in a suspected random stabbing attack is spreading across South Korea, with students nationwide issuing statements.
Students have condemned the incident and called for a thorough police investigation, stronger safety measures and responsible media coverage.
The case occurred in Gwangju at around midnight on May 5. A 24-year-old suspect surnamed Jang allegedly stabbed the student, who did not know him, and seriously injured another high school student who rushed to help after hearing her screams.
While local communities and teachers’ groups have also expressed condolences for the victim, residents in Gwangju extended the operation of a volunteer-run mourning altar through Sunday from its originally scheduled closing date of Tuesday.
The wave of statements began at schools near the victim’s school in Gwangju.
“We will continue to raise our voices until the suspect is held accountable, so that the dreams of our friend, who lost her life unfairly, are not forgotten,” the student council of Suwan High School said Thursday.
Suwan High School is among several schools in Gwangju where students issued statements in the name of their student councils.
The students called for a thorough investigation and measures to prevent a recurrence, including disclosing the suspect’s identity, avoiding sentence reductions on the grounds of diminished mental capacity or claims that the attack was impulsive, and strengthening preventive measures such as increased patrols.
The movement has also spread to schools in other parts of the country, including Sokcho in Gangwon Province and Daegu, where students urged the public and media not to frame the incident as a problem tied to a specific region, but as an issue affecting society as a whole.
Teachers’ groups, including the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, echoed the calls, saying student safety is a responsibility shared by society.
Responding to growing demands for stronger protections, the government said it was working on enhanced safety measures for student commuting routes.
Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, instructed the National Police Agency on Monday to conduct a thorough investigation, strengthen patrols, inspect the safety of school commuting routes and reinforce crime-prevention infrastructure, according to presidential vice spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong.
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