South Korean police detained a 59-year-old man suspected of stabbing eight people at a shopping mall in Incheon on Tuesday, October 13, leaving one victim with life-threatening injuries.
The attack occurred at approximately 1:40 p.m. local time in a building housing a Homeplus supermarket, prompting an emergency response as authorities began investigating the suspect's motive and circumstances.
According to local reports, the suspect began attacking people while travelling on an escalator from the floor containing the supermarket, before moving through several levels of the building.
Witnesses described the man as having knives strapped to both hands, while footage carried by local media showed attacks near a food court.
Bystanders reportedly used chairs to obstruct the suspect before subduing him and handing him over to police.
The eight victims, comprising six women and two men, were transported to hospitals with injuries including wounds to their backs and shoulders.
One woman in her twenties underwent surgery after sustaining life-threatening injuries, while separate reports indicated that a victim had suffered cardiac arrest.
Authorities established an emergency medical centre on the building's first floor.
The suspect previously served four years in prison for attempted murder and had been subject to electronic ankle monitoring since his release in 2019, according to South Korea's Justice Ministry.
The ministry said he had also received treatment for mental health issues and alcohol addiction.
Local reports indicated that police had investigated him last month over allegations of carrying a knife during a protest outside an Incheon hospital.
The Justice Ministry pledged to examine the electronic monitoring programme, which uses GPS tracking to supervise high-risk offenders following their release.
President Lee Jae Myung called for a swift and rigorous investigation after receiving a briefing at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency.
The incident follows several violent stabbing attacks in South Korea, including incidents in 2023 and a fatal supermarket attack in April 2025.
Authorities have not established a motive for Tuesday's attack.