"Use When in Danger"... Self-Defense Spray Appears at Hongdae Station

Basket Filled with Self-Defense Sprays Appears
"Please Use Only in Truly Dangerous Situations"

Recently, as indiscriminate "random stabbing attacks" have occurred across the country, a basket containing self-defense spray appeared at Hongdae Entrance Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, drawing attention.

On the afternoon of the 4th, posts and photos appeared on online communities stating, "Someone left a basket containing self-defense spray at the subway station exit."

The photos showed a basket full of small bottles of self-defense spray, along with a note that read, "I leave this hoping it will be a small help."

The person who left the basket requested in the note, "Please take only one per person and use it only in dangerous situations." They also added, "Once the spray is all used up, the basket will be collected."

After the basket appeared, the number of sprays, which were initially full, rapidly decreased within a few hours to the point that the bottom of the basket was visible. One netizen speculated, "I took one and sprayed it; it was indeed self-defense spray. It seems someone living nearby left it."

However, online debates arose with concerns such as, "You shouldn't carelessly accept something handed out on the street without knowing what's inside," and "Such items could be misused for secondary crimes."

Self-defense spray placed in front of Exit of Hongdaeipgu Station on Line 2
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, on the 21st of last month, a "random stabbing" incident in broad daylight in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, resulted in one death and three injuries. About two weeks later, on the 3rd, another stabbing rampage occurred at Seohyeon Station in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, injuring 14 people.

The suspect, A (23), drove a compact car onto the sidewalk around 5:55 p.m. the previous day, hitting pedestrians. Afterwards, he indiscriminately wielded a weapon against citizens aged 20 to 70 on the first and second floors of the AK Plaza department store at Seohyeon Station.

There were five victims from the traffic accident and nine from the stabbing rampage. Among them, 12 were classified as seriously injured, and two, including a woman in her 60s who was among the traffic accident victims, are in critical condition.

At around 10 a.m. that day, an incident occurred at a high school in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, where a man wielded a weapon against a teacher. At approximately 10:39 a.m., a man carrying a weapon was apprehended by police at the Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Experts believe these incidents are likely copycat crimes inspired by the Sillim-dong case. Recently, online communities have also seen a series of "murder threats" imitating these events. The police stated, "We will deploy the Violent Crime Investigation Unit to thoroughly track down and arrest those posting 'murder threats.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.