Detention Decision May Come as Early as the 30th
Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union: "No Prejudice Against Special Education"
A (17), who injured six people including teachers and residents by wielding a weapon inside and outside a high school in Cheongju, is entering the Cheongju District Court on the afternoon of the 30th to attend a warrant hearing. 2025.4.30 Yonhap News
A warrant hearing is underway for a 17-year-old boy, identified as A, who injured six people including school staff by wielding a weapon at a high school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
On the 30th, the Cheongju District Court announced that it was conducting a pretrial detention hearing (warrant hearing) for A, who is charged with attempted murder and other offenses, beginning at 2:00 p.m. that day.
A, who appeared for the warrant hearing at around 1:25 p.m., entered the building with his head bowed after responding "I'm sorry" to reporters' questions such as "What was difficult about school life?" and "Do you have anything to say to the victims?"
On the morning of the 28th, at approximately 8:33 a.m., A allegedly assaulted teacher B (49) during a counseling session in a special education classroom. When B fled the classroom, A reportedly took a weapon from his bag, came out into the first-floor hallway, and inflicted serious injuries on three staff members, including the principal.
After leaving the school, A also allegedly wielded the weapon at a citizen on the street and injured another citizen while fleeing.
The police stated, "Although A has admitted to the crime and wrongdoing, we applied for a detention warrant because he prepared the weapon in advance, injured an unspecified number of people, and the crime was committed in a special space, namely a school."
Education organizations urged the North Chungcheong Office of Education to implement effective measures, while also expressing concern that the incident could lead to prejudice or hatred against special education or special education students.
The North Chungcheong branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union held a press conference at the North Chungcheong Office of Education, stating, "Schools are by no means safe, and serious gaps in safety have been revealed. The North Chungcheong Office of Education must examine the situation on the ground and establish a system to ensure the safety of staff and students. This incident was caused by the perpetrator's disposition, impulsive violence, and aggressiveness. It must not be allowed to spread into prejudice or hatred against special education or special education students."
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