Special operations police officers and an armored vehicle are deployed near Gangnam subway station in Seoul on Aug. 7, 2023, amid a surge in online murder threats in the wake of recent back-to-back deadly mass stabbings. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — After a series of indiscriminate stabbing attacks targeting local citizens, armored vehicles and special forces armed with machine guns emerged in major areas, including Seoul’s Gangnam Station, Gimhae International Airport, and Jeju International Airport.
Sunday morning brought an unexpected sight near Gangnam Station — armored vehicles instead of the usual weekend picnickers.
Special forces from the National Police Agency patrolled the vicinity, equipped with MP5 machine guns, pistols, taser guns, handcuffs, and police batons.
These special forces were dispatched to 45 locations across the country.
As of Sunday, a total of 128 agents were deployed, and armored vehicles were dispatched to 11 of these locations. Following bomb threats on Monday, airports saw the positioning of armored vehicles.
Armored vehicles were also positioned at other notable spots, such as Busan’s Seomyeon Station, the World Scout Jamboree campsite, the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, Jinju Lotte Mall, and more.
Despite these measures, experts and politicians warn that such actions might incite social unrest and have unintended consequences.
“We’re now witnessing armored vehicles in the heart of the city. This will only heighten citizens’ anxiety,” said Lee Yoon-ho, a police science professor at the Cyber University of Korea, during a radio show on Monday.
“Such police actions are sowing fear. An excessive police presence will only worsen the already tense situation.”
Special operations police officers patrol at Gangnam subway station in Seoul on Aug. 7, 2023, amid a surge in online murder threats in the wake of recent back-to-back deadly mass stabbings. (Yonhap)
Politicians are also denouncing these police measures as ‘excessive,’ holding them accountable for the escalation of social unrest.
The police announced a campaign of ‘special police activities’ aimed at conducting more rigorous inspections of suspicious individuals.
In an unfortunate incident on Saturday, the police mistook a middle school student in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province for a knife-carrying suspect and injured the student while attempting to handcuff him.
Regarding the recent string of stabbing rampages and the increased purchase of self-defense items, Lee argued that relying on self-defense items when confronted by criminals is a “grave mistake.”
“The best course of action is to leave the area. Most individuals are unfamiliar with using self-defense items. Criminals often come prepared, and attempting to confront them is highly perilous.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
