Two Women in Their 70s Murdered in Bundang Apartment...Suspect Was Neighbor Who Played Hwatu Together
30s Man Drives Car into Convenience Store Over Daughter's Lost Drawing
Expert: "People with Impulsive Tendencies May Engage in Dangerous Behavior Due to Frustration"
A woman who was arrested for causing a disturbance by driving a vehicle into a convenience store in Pyeongtaek is being transported by a police van on the morning of the 17th to appear for a pre-trial detention hearing at the Pyeongtaek Police Station in Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] So-called anger crimes, where individuals unable to control sudden anger wield weapons against others or commit indiscriminate assaults, are occurring repeatedly, becoming a social issue.
Unlike other crimes that are intentional and planned, anger crimes are characterized by threatening others in a fit of rage after being unable to endure one's own anger. Since these crimes happen suddenly, it is unpredictable when, where, or who might become a victim. Experts point out that individuals with impulsive tendencies are at high risk of becoming perpetrators of anger crimes.
At around 7:50 a.m. on the 20th, in an apartment in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, homeowner A (76) and acquaintance B (73) were found dead from stab wounds.
The police identified a man in his 60s living in the same complex as the suspect through analysis of nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and arrested him on suspicion of murder at around 9 a.m. that day. It was confirmed that the man left his home around midnight the previous day carrying a weapon and visited A's residence.
Prior to this, the man was investigated to have played Hwatu (Korean card game) at A's house with A, B, and other neighbors from the evening of the incident day. The police are verifying facts based on statements that a dispute occurred during the Hwatu game. Currently, the man denies the murder charges.
Cases where minor conflicts such as verbal disputes escalate into violent crimes like murder have been occurring frequently recently.
On the 15th, C (38, female) drove her car into a convenience store in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. At the time, C threatened the store owner with a golf club and caused a disturbance by repeatedly driving back and forth inside the store for about 10 minutes, damaging fixtures and goods.
When police arrived after a report and demanded C exit the vehicle, she refused, prompting the police to fire a warning shot before opening the car door and arresting her.
Police investigations revealed that C had known the store owner for three years. However, a conflict arose after C misunderstood that the store owner deliberately did not submit her daughter's drawing for a children's art contest held by the convenience store's headquarters in May.
This was not C's first impulsive crime. In April 2018, while on the way to a hospital with her husband for anger management treatment, she crashed her car into the hospital's exterior wall and was sentenced to a suspended prison term for special property damage. It is reported that she committed the current offense during the probation period.
On the 15th, a driver who caused a disturbance by driving a vehicle into a convenience store was arrested by the police. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The number of people diagnosed with 'habit and impulse disorders,' a mental illness characterized by inability to control anger like C, is increasing every year. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service's healthcare big data, the number of patients treated for 'habit and impulse disorders' was ▲5,390 in 2015 ▲5,920 in 2016 ▲5,986 in 2017, showing an upward trend.
'Habit and impulse disorders' refer to mental illnesses where individuals cannot control sudden urges to act, leading to impulsive behaviors harmful to themselves and others. Anger management disorder is a representative example.
The problem lies in the fact that such anger emotions can lead to impulsive crimes against others. Previous cases such as Jang Dae-ho (39) in the 'Hangang dismemberment murder,' Ahn In-deuk (43) in the Jinju apartment arson and stabbing murder, and Kim Seong-su (31) in the Gangseo PC room murder are also considered impulsive murder cases.
The risk of impulsive crimes is also reflected in related statistics. According to the National Police Agency's '2018 Crime Statistics,' the proportion of murders with impulsive motives was 32.9%, the highest among all motives.
Office workers are hurrying home after work at the Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station intersection in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
As a result, citizens' anxiety about anger crimes is growing. Office worker Kim (27, female) said, "These days, minor disputes often escalate into murder, so I have become afraid even to talk to strangers," adding, "Now, even when a stranger just asks me for directions, I get startled out of fear."
She continued, "Also, crimes targeting women seem to happen more frequently than those targeting men," and added, "When I have to walk alone through a dark alley, I always take a detour to the main road."
Citizens' anxiety about social safety is considerable. According to the '2018 Social Indicators of Korea' released by Statistics Korea last year, only 20.5% of people aged 13 and older felt society was safe, while 31.3% felt anxious. In other words, about 3 out of 10 people feel uneasy about safety.
Experts generally analyze that individuals with impulsive tendencies are at higher risk of becoming perpetrators of 'anger crimes.'
Professor Lee Dong-gwi of Yonsei University's Department of Psychology explained, "Generally, when people experience loss or failure, they either internalize it as latent internalizing behaviors like depression or express it outwardly as externalizing behaviors like anger. Especially, those who experience frustration and have impulsive tendencies and resentment toward social norms are more likely to exhibit dangerous behaviors. They tend to look for someone to blame in everyday life," he analyzed.
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