Stabbing Incident in Gwanak, Seoul... Headquarters Says "Conflict Was Between Franchisee and Interior Company"

The headquarters of a franchise pizza restaurant in Gwanak-gu, Seoul has denied any conflict with the franchisee in relation to the knife attack incident that occurred at one of its stores.

Yonhap News Agency

On September 3, the franchise headquarters released a statement saying, "The store involved in this incident opened in October 2023 and has maintained a very amicable relationship with headquarters, operating for its second year. We understand that the conflict arose between the store owner and the interior company directly contracted by the owner, specifically regarding repairs."

The statement continued, "One of the deceased victims was an executive from headquarters who visited the store this morning with the head of the interior company and her daughter, a designer, in order to mediate the dispute between the store owner and the interior company. Since launching our franchise business, we have never once forced store owners to renovate or update their interiors."

According to the Gwanak Police Station in Seoul, at around 10:57 a.m. that day, a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, wielded a knife at a franchise pizza restaurant in Jowon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Two men in their 30s and 40s and a woman in her 30s were injured and transported to the hospital, but all three died.

Mr. A had reportedly been in conflict with the victims over interior design issues at the store and, on that day, got into another argument for the same reason before committing the crime with a knife from the kitchen.

The police plan to take Mr. A into custody as soon as his medical treatment is completed and will investigate the exact circumstances of the incident.