"South Korea's Battle With 'Mudjima' Crimes"... BBC Highlights Weapon Rampages

BBC Highlights Recent 'Mudjima' Weapon Rampages
"Not a Breakdown in Public Safety... Homicide Rate Only One-Fifth of That in the US"

The British public broadcaster BBC recently focused on the series of 'indiscriminate weapon rampages' that have occurred across South Korea. The report also used the term 'Mudjima,' an English transliteration of the Korean word '묻지마.'

BBC Article Title Using the Word 'Mudjima' [Image Source=BBC]

On August 13 (local time), the BBC reported that South Korea has been plagued by weapon rampages targeting random people at locations such as Sillim Station in Seoul, Seongnam, and Seohyeon Station, as well as a series of copycat crime threats. In this article, 'Mudjima' was used to describe these indiscriminate crimes.

The outlet explained that while the term 'Mudjima crime' has long been used in Korean society, police last year redefined it as 'crimes with abnormal motives' and established a dedicated task force to respond.

The BBC pointed out that although South Korea’s violent crime rate last year was the lowest in a decade, indicating a high level of public safety, the recent weapon rampage incidents have created a perception that society is becoming more dangerous.

Some have even claimed that South Korea has become as dangerous as the United States. However, the outlet emphasized, citing experts, that South Korea remains a relatively safe country.

In fact, South Korea’s homicide rate is 1.3 per 100,000 people, which is only about half the average among OECD member countries. Compared to the United States, the homicide rate is about one-fifth.

On the afternoon of the 4th, when imitation threats involving weapons continued, riot police officers were guarding and patrolling at Ori Station in Bundang. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

In relation to this, Professor Song Hyojong of Korea University explained to the outlet, "Not only are South Korea’s homicide and other violent crime rates very low compared to other countries, but they have also steadily declined over the past decade."

However, after the weapon rampage incidents, the BBC reported that posts predicting murders have been continuously appearing online, fueling public anxiety. Some of these posts have even specified the exact time and location of the planned crimes.

Recently, websites have emerged that provide lists of announced violent crimes and updates on whether the suspects have been apprehended. The BBC added that police have been arresting individuals who post murder threats and have also increased patrols in public areas.

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