Merchants and Residents Still Fearful
Police Investigate 6 Murder Threats
Increased Local Patrols and CCTV Surveillance
More than a week has passed since the 'Shillim-dong Stabbing Rampage' incident, but merchants and residents are still suffering from its aftermath. With daily murder threats continuing, foot traffic in the commercial area has stopped, and local people are living in fear.
Police officers are patrolling the area around Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. [Photo by Im Chunhan]
On the afternoon of the 31st, Jung, who runs a restaurant near Shillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, lamented, “Usually, it should be bustling during lunchtime, but as you can see, there are no customers,” adding, “I talked with other shop owners nearby, and it’s the same for all of them.” Jo, who works at a convenience store, said, “During the day, residents come by, and at night, people come to drink, but the number of customers has sharply decreased,” and “If there used to be 10 people, now less than half come.” Self-employed Kim said, “Since the murder incident, the number of people passing by has decreased,” and gave a bitter smile, saying, “Of course, sales have to drop.”
The area around Shillim Station is a representative commercial district in southwestern Seoul, known for its heavy foot traffic on both weekdays and weekends. The average daily ridership of Seoul Subway Line 2’s Shillim Station exceeds 100,000 people. However, after the stabbing rampage incident, the aftereffects continue throughout Shillim-dong. Only police officers on foot patrol were seen in the alleys near the crime scene. Housewife Park Young-sun said, “Crimes happen even on main roads in broad daylight, so walking through the alleys is really scary,” adding, “I keep looking around and staying alert.” The space that was set up to mourn the deceased has now been completely removed. Merchants agreed to dismantle it after concerns about secondary damage arose, such as some citizens conducting fundraising without the bereaved family’s consent and drunken people causing disturbances.
The police have stepped up patrols around Shillim-dong to reassure anxious citizens. Since the 24th, the Gwanak Police Station has stationed two patrol cars near the incident site as part of special crime prevention activities and is conducting flexible patrols. The Gwanak District Office installed an intelligent surveillance system on 32 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and assigned dedicated CCTV personnel 24 hours a day. However, it seems more time will be needed for the wounds to heal. Currently, there are a total of six posts threatening murder in the Shillim-dong area under police investigation. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official stated, “In addition to suspect Lee, who was arrested on the 27th, five more posts threatening murder in the Shillim-dong area were discovered,” and “The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Unit and Gwanak Police Station are tracking down the authors.”
Professor Kwak Dae-kyung of Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration said, “Residents and merchants are likely worried that another shocking incident could occur. It would be helpful if local governments provide counseling and treatment for the community,” advising, “For mid- to long-term prevention of ‘random crimes,’ social mentoring is important. It is necessary to identify people with social grievances and complaints early and respond with tailored measures.”
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