Student Stabs Three, Injures Two More in Knife Attack at South Korean High School

Members of South Korean Police Crime Scene Investigation team probe at a high school in Cheongju on Apr 28, 2025, after a knife attack by a student.

A knife attack at a high school in Cheongju, South Korea, left three people seriously injured and two others hurt on Monday morning, April 28. The incident occurred around 8:36 a.m., approximately 110 kilometers south of Seoul, according to police reports.

Authorities stated they received an emergency call reporting that a student had stabbed someone inside a classroom. Among those seriously injured were the school's headmaster, who sustained an abdominal stab wound, and a government employee who was stabbed in the chest.

After the attack, the 18-year-old suspect attempted to flee to a nearby lakeside park, where he jumped into a lake. Police apprehended him just 12 minutes after the initial report. The student was transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during his attempted escape.

Police are currently investigating the case and working to determine the motive behind the attack. A local police official confirmed that authorities are focused on uncovering the full details surrounding the incident.

The violent episode comes just months after a separate incident where a teacher fatally stabbed an eight-year-old student at an elementary school, raising concerns about safety within educational institutions.

Despite these rare events, South Korea remains one of the safest countries in the world, with a reported murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, significantly lower than the global average of six homicide deaths per 100,000 people.