As Stabbings Continue... Everyone Learns Self-Defense Techniques

For Residents and Social Welfare Staff

Seocho-gu conducted self-defense training for the 'Safe Return Firefly' volunteers earlier this month. (Photo by Seocho-gu)

After the random stabbing incidents at Bundang Seohyeon Station in August and Sillim Station in July, the entire nation was gripped by fear due to indiscriminate weapon attacks, making 'personal safety' a major concern since last summer.

Where there is demand, supply follows. Local districts are rushing to provide self-defense training. The target groups are diverse. Yeongdeungpo District is conducting self-defense safety education on the 26th of this month and the 10th of next month, targeting social welfare workers. Social welfare staff such as case managers or visiting nurses who conduct home visits to welfare recipients are often exposed to unexpected dangers.

They sometimes have to visit late at night to check on the welfare recipients' living conditions, and their safety can be threatened by clients who come intoxicated or aggressively demanding support.

A district office official said, “Considering that most employees are women, the training focuses on practical self-defense techniques that can be used immediately in real situations, such as using nearby objects to keep distance from an attacker, escaping from dangerous situations, and escaping when pinned down, rather than aggressive attack techniques.”

Jung-gu also conducts self-defense training while touring its 15 neighborhoods. Starting from the 6th and continuing until the end of next month, about 10 to 15 residents per neighborhood, totaling around 200 people, are targeted. Separate self-defense training was also provided for single-person households. After the touring education, the district plans to review the possibility of additional training based on residents' feedback.

Eunpyeong District is conducting training in collaboration with eight local Taekwondo academies until the end of next month. Gwanak District, Dongjak District, and Gwangjin District have also held self-defense training sessions. Seocho District provided self-defense training for members of the ‘Safe Return Firefly’ patrol.

Seongdong District, which has been conducting everyday self-defense training since August, is considered a pioneer. In response to a series of random crimes, Seongdong quickly organized training at the Seongdong Life Safety Learning Center, focusing on easy and effective response methods that anyone can use in real situations rather than directly subduing an attacker armed with a weapon.

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